Description

Indigenous Australians make up almost one-quarter of Australia’s prison population, and the issues experienced by Indigenous offenders are significant and complex. The strong links between substance misuse and Indigenous incarceration highlight an urgent need for government to address this disturbing problem. Since health, substance misuse and wellbeing issues are closely linked to Indigenous violence, offending and incarceration, interventions that address alcohol and other drug misuse have the potential to significantly reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in our correctional system. This publication contains necessary short-term and long-term recommendations that have been developed to apply specifically to Indigenous offenders within the community and the corrections system in order to reduce their unacceptably high level of incarceration and to improve the health, wellbeing and the re-integration of Indigenous prisoners and juvenile detainees. NIDAC envisages that through these recommendations the future of Indigenous families and their children may be secured within a nutritive and safe environment. (Introduction, edited.)