From: "Jim & Yvonne Duffield" <staffy-AT-omen.com.au>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 22:07:07 +0800
Subject: (Fwd) Deaths in custody: The death toll continues to rise.


                             MEDIA RELEASE

                           DEATHS IN CUSTODY 
                        WATCH COMMITTEE (WA) 

                                   24/9/97

27 Brewer St, Perth 6000, Ph (08) 93285316, Fax (08) 9228 8183, 
E-mail dicwc-AT-ca.com.au

Deaths in custody: The death toll continues to rise.		


The Deaths In Custody Watch Committee (WA) was not surprised by new
figures released by the Australian Institute of Criminology which
shows that the number of deaths in custody in Australia has risen to
its highest levels since the Institute commenced reporting in 1980.

Here in Western Australia the Watch Committee claims that during the
same time period (1 July 1996 - 30 June 1997) there have been 8
Aboriginal deaths in custody and 9 non-Aboriginal deaths.

Of these 17 deaths, 4 have occurred in police custody, 9 have
occurred in prison custody, 1 has occurred whilst detained under the
Mental Health Act, and two juveniles under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Justice.

"This the highest number of prison deaths in WA since records were
commenced in 1980." said Kath Mallott, Executive Officer of the
Watch Committee.

"Of the 9 deaths in prison custody, 6 have been suspected suicide,
and 2 have been suspected overdose."

"Third rate health services within the prisons is the major cause of
these deaths and until prisoners are able access adequate medical
and psychiatric treatment, the death rate will continue to rise."

"Of the four deaths in police custody in WA, three were young
Aboriginal boys who were killed in police pursuits and it is a
damning indictment of the WA Police Service that, since the Royal
Commission, twelve young Aboriginals have been killed in pursuits and
we continue to have the highest number of deaths from pursuits."

"We once again call for full judicial inquiries into all police
pursuit deaths which have occurred since the Royal Commission
because whilst inquests are pending for the three most recent pursuit
deaths, inquests have not been held into six of the earlier deaths"


Media contact:	Kath Mallott, Executive Officer, 

   (08) 9326 5316 (w)




|\/\/\/|    Jim Duffield     GMT+08   staffy-AT-omen.com.au
|  o  o| 
C     _)  "I claim that the human mind or human society  
| ,____|  is not divided into watertight compartments 
| /       called social, political and religious.  
| |       All act and react upon another."      

          (Gandhi, M.)'Young India' 2nd March,1922         

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