2006
| Author | Weatherburn, Don |
|---|---|
| Date | 2006 |
| Source/Publisher | Conference of the Australasian Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (2006: Cairns) |
| Link(s) | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1839-4655.2010.tb00198.x |
| Subjects | Social conditions |
This conference paper discusses findings that it is drug and alcohol abuse, not poverty and unemployment, which are the key factors behind the high rate of Aboriginal imprisonment. Far from being just a symptom of Indigenous poverty and disadvantage, drug and alcohol abuse have become its principal sponsor and cause, ruining Aboriginal lives, destroying Aboriginal families and robbing thousands of Aboriginal children of their heritage, a decent upbringing and a job. While drug and alcohol are the strongest predictors of Indigenous criminal prosecution and imprisonment, failure to compete Year 12, unemployment, living in a crowded household, or being taken from family like the Stolen Generations also increased the risk. The paper describes past government policy that has concentrated on reform of the justice system and/or reducing the general level of economic and social disadvantage among Indigenous Australians, however these efforts have had little success. The author argues that there is the need for a more focused approach; one where key priorities involve reducing Indigenous drug and alcohol abuse, improving Indigenous school performance and raising the level of Indigenous employment.
A link to the conference material is no longer available.
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