1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/01/2006   
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Contents >> Chapter 11 - 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 2004, 67 people died in all forms of custody in Australia, one fewer than for 2003. Of the 67 deaths, 13 were of Indigenous persons (with the Indigenous status of one person still to be determined). The largest number of deaths in custody recorded since 1990 was in 1997 (105), while the largest number of deaths of Indigenous persons was in 1995 (21) (table 11.47).

11.47 DEATHS IN CUSTODY
Police
Prison
Total(a)
Indigenous
Non-Indigenous
Indigenous
Non-Indigenous
Indigenous
Non-Indigenous
Total
1990
5
26
5
28
10
55
65
1991
5
26
8
31
13
57
70
1992
7
24
2
34
9
58
67
1993
3
28
7
42
10
71
81
1994
3
24
11
42
14
67
81
1995
4
22
17
42
21
66
87
1996
6
23
12
40
18
64
82
1997
6
23
9
67
15
90
105
1998
6
19
9
60
16
79
95
1999
6
20
13
46
19
66
85
2000
5
20
11
53
17
74
91
2001
5
26
14
42
19
68
87
2002
6
13
8
42
14
55
69
2003
7
26
10
25
17
51
68
2004
7
21
7
32
14
53
67
(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 database, 1990-2003.



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