1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2009–10  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/06/2010   
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Contents >> Crime and justice >> Deaths in custody

DEATHS IN CUSTODY

In 1991 the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody investigated the deaths of 99 Indigenous people that occurred in police or prison custody between January 1980 and May 1989. One of the outcomes was the establishment of a National Deaths in Custody Monitoring and Research Program at the Australian Institute of Criminology.

During 2007, 74 people died in all forms of custody in Australia, an increase of 19 deaths from 2006. Of this total 12% or 9 people were Indigenous. The largest number of deaths in custody recorded since 1990 was in 1997 (105), while the largest number of deaths of Indigenous people was in 1995 (22) (table 13.31).

13.31 DEATHS IN CUSTODY
Police
Prison
Total
Indigenous
Non-Indigenous
Indigenous
Non-Indigenous
Indigenous
Non-Indigenous
Total(a)
1990
5
26
5
28
10
54
65
1991
5
26
8
31
13
57
70
1992
7
24
2
34
9
58
67
1993
3
30
7
42
10
72
83
1994
3
25
11
42
14
67
82
1995
4
22
18
41
22
63
87
1996
6
23
12
40
18
63
82
1997
6
23
9
67
15
90
105
1998
6
21
10
59
16
80
97
1999
6
21
13
46
19
67
86
2000
5
21
11
51
16
72
90
2001
4
31
14
43
18
74
92
2002
11
26
8
42
19
68
87
2003
8
28
10
30
18
58
76
2004
8
23
7
32
15
55
70
2005
8
15
7
27
15
42
57
2006
6
17
4
27
10
44
55
2007
4
25
5
40
9
65
74
(a) Includes deaths that occurred in custody other than police or prison custody (such as juvenile detention).
Source: Australian Institute of Criminology, National Deaths in Custody Program 1990–2007 (computer file).






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