Aboriginal and non-aboriginal deaths in custody

The establishment of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody prompted a number of questions about the incidence of non-Aboriginal as well as Aboriginal deaths in both police custody and prisons. And examination of all such deaths from 1980 to 1988 shows that there were four times as many non-Aboriginal deaths as Aboriginal deaths, but, based on their numbers in the general community, Aborigines were 23 times more likely to die in custody than were non-Aborigines. About two-thirds of the black deaths occurred in police custody and two-thirds of the white deaths occurred in prisons. Suicide or self-inflicted harm was the most common reported cause of death for non-Aborigines, but death by natural causes was more frequently reported among Aborigines. The most serious offence leading either to detention or imprisonment for all the deceased persons revealed only small differences between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal groups, but those who died in prison were generally more serious offenders than those who died in police custody. Proportionately more of the Aboriginal deaths occurred in hospitals than was the case for non-Aborigines. A dramatic and unexpectedly high number of custodial deaths occurred in 1987, and the possible explanations for this are explored. It is suggested that the findings of this study relate to the over-representation of Aborigines in custody, the need for improved health programs for Aborigines, and the need for permanent monitoring on a national basis of all deaths in custody.