"Build Communities Not Prisons" - Prison Overcrowding Crisis

The Public Meeting on 27 January to mark the 2nd anniversary of the death in custody of Mr Ward was very successful in initiating a grass roots campaign around the current prison overcrowding crisis.

A diverse range of people came together to say that our current criminal justice system is broken and needs to be fixed!

Speakers included Greens MP and Member for Fremantle Ms Adele Carles, Noongar Elder Rev Sealin Garlett, Noongar Yorga Dot Henry, WA State Prison Officers Union Secretary Mr John Welsh, Noongar Elder Mingli McGlade and Mr Marc Newhouse from the Deaths In Custody Watch Committee (WA) Inc.

It's very expensive to imprison people - it costs nearly $200,000 per year to house one youth in the juvenile justice system – this is a lot of money that could be put to better use.  We could use it for diversion programs and education programs for juveniles.  We could use it to build safe houses for kids at risk in our community to get them off the streets. We need a whole new paradigm for how we deal with at risk juveniles.  Locking kids up is not working.” - Adele Carles, Member for Fremantle (Greens)

Read Adele's full speech HERE

All speakers recognised that the growth in our prison population is unsustainable. The Prison population is currently 4,750 and growing at 24 per week (Nov 2009). It costs currently $100,000 per year per prisoner / 1 Million per year for every ten prisoners.

The risks to prisoners and prison staff are increasing as a result of increased overcrowding. These risks include risks to control and staff and prisoner safety; risks to decency in the treatment of prisoners; and risks to the community if prisons cannot fulfil their rehabilitative role.

In Western Australia, Aboriginal people are 20 times more likely to be in prison than non-Aboriginal people and around one in 15 Aboriginal men in Western Australia will be in prison at any given time.

On the 8^th October 2009 of the 4,750 prison population there were 1,909 Aboriginal People in the State’s Prisons. Of them, 1,732 were men and 177 women. The total number of Aboriginal people in prison had more than doubled in 7 years from 800 in mid 2002 to over 1900 in 2009

– An increase of 137% -

Over the past decade there has been inadequate planning for the increasing prison numbers. Years of successive government under investment in our justice system have left the Western Australian prison system seriously underfunded and unable to keep up effectively with increased demand.

The rising rate of imprisonment does not simply reflect higher crime rates. A comprehensive, rational and more bipartisan approach to law and order issues is required to lower the incarceration rate, particularly for Aboriginal people and juveniles and bring down the growth in prisoner numbers to a more workable, sustainable and most importantly ‘humane’ level.

The State owes a duty of care to those in its custody which is derived from common law legislation. There are also a number of international covenants and other standards which apply either directly or indirectly to the treatment and conditions of people detained or in custody.

Article 7 of The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights requires that: ‘...no one shall be subject to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment’.

Where is the government, G4S or the police in explaining their significant roles to play in the treatment and subsequent death in custody of Aboriginal Elder Mr Ward? Two years on the family and community are still waiting for answers!

Support the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee (WA) Inc’s campaign to:

“Build Communities Not Prisons”

Contact us today via e-mail and join the campaign for change!