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Articles on Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody

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Indigenous community members outside the Victorian coroners court ahead of the release of a report into the death of Veronica Nelson. Tamati Smith/Getty Images

‘Discriminatory impact on First Nations people’: coroner calls for urgent bail reform in Veronica Nelson inquest

Arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and denied bail, Veronica Nelson died alone in a cell. A Victorian coroner has called for urgent reform of the state’s tough bail laws.
Here, where the Black Lives Matter movement has brought focus to First Nations people dying in custody, media attention has been episodic and too often absent. Provided by author

Australia’s news media play an important role reminding the country that Black lives still matter

George Floyd’s death and the US Black Lives Matter movement sparked extensive media attention. Why aren’t Australian Indigenous deaths in custody getting the same amount of media coverage?
Many of the royal commission’s recommendations concerning families primarily regard the circumstances of their loved one’s death rather than inclusion in decision-making processes. Supplied by Latoya Aroha Rule

The families of Indigenous people who die in custody need a say in what happens next

The government continues to refuse collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families on addressing Aboriginal deaths in custody.
The Royal Commission recommends that all media organisations should be encouraged to develop codes and policies relating to the presentation of Aboriginal issues. Biance De Marchi/AAP

Not criminals or passive victims: media need to reframe their representation of Aboriginal deaths in custody

The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody made recommendations to ensure ethical reporting of these deaths. Despite this, harmful and inaccurate reporting still abounds.
Paul Keating recognised the significant opportunities – and political risks – the High Court’s Mabo decision presented. National Archives of Australia

Cabinet papers 1992-93: Keating government fights for Indigenous rights on multiple fronts

Cabinet papers reveal the extent to which the Keating government was torn between concern for fiscal responsibility and a desire to tackle Indigenous disadvantage and pursue meaningful reconciliation.
Four Corners has refocused national attention on Indigenous incarceration rates, but there are several problems with prison data collections. AAP Image/Dave Hunt

Data gaps mean Indigenous incarceration rates may be even worse than we thought

The official data show incarceration rates of Indigenous people have doubled since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody 25 years ago. But the problem may be even worse than that.
Protestors in Perth call for an independent investigation into Ms Dhu’s death. AAP/Jesse Roberts

Why we should honour the humanity of every person who dies in custody

The statistics used to discuss deaths in custody can make us lose sight of the fact that it’s people we’re talking about. People with families and friends, who died prematurely – and often brutally.

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