Deaths in custody in Australia to 30 June 2011

Abstract Compiled for two decades by the Australian Institute of Criminology, this report found both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous rates of deaths in custody have decreased over the last decade and are now some of the lowest ever seen (0.16 per 100 Indigenous prisoners and 0.22 per 100 non-Indigenous prisoners in 2010–11). For the last eight years in a row, the Indigenous rate of death in prison has been lower than the equivalent non-Indigenous rate. While Indigenous prisoners continue to be statistically less likely to die in custody than non-Indigenous prisoners, there is a concerning trend emerging, as the actual number of Indigenous deaths in prison are rising again, with 14 in 2009-10 which is equal to the highest on record. More concerning still is that over the 20 years since the Royal Commission, the proportion of prisoners that are Indigenous has almost doubled from 14% in 1991 to 26% in 2011

ACT Family Violence Intervention Program review

This paper reports on a review of the Australian Capital Territory’s Family Violence Intervention Program, which provides an interagency response to family violence matters. The scope of the review was to analyse the program’s activities and outcomes using 2007–08 data provided by participating agencies, supported by in-depth interviews with key stakeholders including victims whose matters had been finalised in court. After the completion of this report, additional data from 2008–09 and 2009–10 was made available by some Family Violence Intervention Program (FVIP) participating agencies. Although not within the scope of this evaluation, these data pointed to some preliminary improvements in the FVIP

Juveniles in detention in Australia, 1981-2008

This report provides an overview of the numbers and rates of juveniles in detention in Australia since 1981 and juveniles in detention for the financial year 2007-08. As with the Australian Institute of Criminology’s (AIC’s) previous report on juveniles in detention, it also provides contextual information on young people sentenced in the children’s courts. The collation of data for these reports is supported by statutory juvenile justice agencies in each of Australia’s jurisdictions, as well as the NSW Department of Corrective Services. As described in more detail in this report, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) administers the Juvenile Justice National Minimum Data Set and also reports annually on juveniles in detention. Given this development, the AIC is conducting a review of the Juveniles in Detention Monitoring Report in 2010–11, to ensure that AIC’s research and monitoring does not duplicate the AIHW’s work and that it makes a useful contribution to the field and enables more in-depth analysis of key issues. The AIC’s national Juveniles in Detention Monitoring Program was established to contribute to the evidence base on juvenile detention in Australia, with a particular focus on Indigenous juveniles. Findings date back to 1981 and have been reported annually

Motor vehicle pursuit-related fatalities in Australia, 2000-11

Across the spectrum of operational policing activities, one situationthat poses a degree of risk to community safety is when an alleged offender chooses to flee in a vehicle. In the worst case, the offender, police members or other bystanders may be injured or killed. Everymotor vehicle pursuit that ends in a death is a tragedy and one that impacts not only on the families and friends of the deceased, but also on the police member involved in the incident.In this analysis of data from the Australian Institute of Criminology’s National Deaths in Custody Program, the National Coronial Information System and from police agencies across Australia, it was found that, although fluctuating, the number of pursuit-related crashes and fatalities has generally declined over the last 12 years with an average of 15 crashes and 18 deaths each year. Further, the rate of death has also remained relatively stable since 2004, with the exception of two smallincreases in the rate in 2006 and 2009. It was also found that fatal pursuits most commonly involved young males under the age of 25 years and that in almost nine out of every 10 cases, the alleged offender driving the vehicle being pursued had consumed alcohol, drugs or a combination of both prior to the incident. The authors conclude by identifying several areas in need of further research that would improve understanding ofmotor vehicle pursuits and provide policymakers with a stronger evidencebase for reform

Deaths in custody in Australia: national deaths in custody program 2008

This report analyses deaths occurring in custodial settings, such as prison and juvenile detention, as well as police custody and related operations, for the period 1980 to 2008. It does not consider deaths in detention centres under immigration legislation. Since it was established to monitor issues relevant to Indigenous people in custody as explained below; the question of the future scope of the monitoring program will be considered in a planned review of this program. Monitoring of deaths in custody began in 1992 following recommendations by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCADIC), which was, in turn, a response to hangings and other deaths of Indigenous persons in custody in the 1980s. The purpose of monitoring deaths in custody is to provide accurate, regular information that will contribute to policy and programs that aim to reduce deaths in custody and to increase public understanding of the issues. The importance of this monitoring was again emphasised with the endorsement by the Australian and state and territory governments of the National Indigenous Law and Justice Framework to tackle serious Indigenous law and justice issues

Arson-associated homicide in Australia: A five year follow-up

Arson homicides are rare, representing only two percent of all homicides in Australia each year. In this study, data was collected from the AIC’s National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP) to build on previous research undertaken into arson-associated homicides (Davies & Mouzos 2007) and to provide more detailed analysis of cases and offenders. Over the period 1989 to 2010, there were 123 incidents of arson-associated homicide, involving 170 unique victims and 131 offenders. The majority of incidents (63%) occurred in the victim’s home and more than half (57%) of all victims were male. It was found that there has been a 44 percent increase in the number of incidents in the past decade. It is evident that a considerable proportion of the identified arson homicides involved a high degree of premeditation and planning. These homicides were commonly committed by an offender who was well known to the victim, with over half of the victims (56%) specifically targeted by the offender. This paper therefore provides a valuable insight into the nature of arson homicides and signposts areas for further investigation