In 2017-18, in response to the Bourke Street incident, the Victorian Government changed the bail laws to make it easier to lock people up before criminal charges are finalised. The changes
aimed to restrict access to bail for individuals accused of serious violent offences; however, they have had wider and more devastating impacts.
The punitive bail system has disproportionately impacted Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, and has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of Aboriginal people in prison who have not been sentenced.