PM urged to convene national cabinet on First Nations incarceration and deaths in custody, as leaders meet in Alice Springs

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Pressure is growing for the Prime Minister to take action to address the disproportionate incarceration of Indigenous Australians in the wake of Kumanjayi White's death in police custody.

Transcript

00:00Almost a month on from Kuminjai White's death, wounds are still raw as the Territory doubles

00:08down on its tough on crime approach.

00:11His grandfather has written to the Prime Minister supporting calls for federal action on immediate

00:16justice reform.

00:18You promised we can close the gap.

00:20Well, Prime Minister, the gap is getting wider and fast.

00:24A group of First Nations Children's Commissioners has now added their voices to a growing chorus

00:29calling for federal justice reform.

00:31Rather than supporting children and families to live healthy, happy lives, we punish children

00:37and families.

00:39We need to treasure our children, not torture them.

00:41They argue youth crime crackdowns in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern

00:46Territory are placing the nation in contravention of its international human rights obligations.

00:52We are standing in the middle of an incredible storm and at the centre of that storm are children

00:57in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

01:00Those children that as a country we should be investing in right now.

01:04States and Territories are responsible for adult and youth justice policy, but Australia

01:09has national closing the gap commitments it's not on track to meet.

01:13First Nations children continue to be imprisoned at much higher rates than non-First Nations

01:19children, while in the adult justice system the incarceration gap is widening.

01:24Overwhelmingly the justice systems are controlled by State and Territory governments, but Malindiri

01:31McCarthy is someone who's very passionate about representing the needs of Indigenous Australians

01:38and she is doing a fantastic job.

01:40With 598 Indigenous deaths in custody since this former minister tabled a Royal Commission

01:46into the issue.

01:48I beg of him to show leadership to get this issue before the National Cabinet.

01:54A plea to learn from lessons of the past.

01:57Chancellor's

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