This report presents the findings of Victoria’s first community-led Implementation Review of Recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The report summarises the self-assessment responses received from government departments and agencies, as well as the views and experiences of the Indigenous community in relation to the underlying issues and contact with the criminal justice system. The report examines Indigenous deaths in custody in Victoria, both those investigated by the Royal Commission and the seven Indigenous deaths which have occurred since 1991. It then presents findings on the implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations, in relation to: underlying issues, which are divided into clusters covering education, employment and economic status, housing, families and children, health and wellbeing, alcohol and other substances, community capacity, land needs and cultural survival and reconciliation; over representation in the criminal justice system including contact with police, courts, corrections and juvenile justice; and monitoring of implementation of the recommendations. The review concludes, overall, that the array of policies, programs and initiatives reported on by government, have not achieved the desired outcome of substantially reducing Indigenous disadvantage. It is essential to make substantial progress in resolving the underlying issues of disadvantage, and this can only be done in a human rights and social justice framework. Ongoing monitoring of the recommendations, in partnership with the Indigenous community, cannot simply be left to individual departments or to the Indigenous community alone. Instead it is proposed that this role should be assumed by an adequately resourced independent Commissioner for Aboriginal Social Justice, supported by a monitoring unit. The second volume of the report contains statistical information relating to: a profile of Aboriginal Victorians; underlying social issues; and Indigenous over representation in the criminal justice system, including Aboriginal deaths in custody, the police, courts, corrections, juvenile justice and self reported contact with the criminal justice system. It also contains a cost benefit analysis of interventions targeting Indigenous over representation.

• Victorian Government Response to the Implementation Review of the Recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody