Trudy & Rod Bray
Sun, 25 Jun 2000 22:26:15 -0700
WA's eighth death in custody in seven weeks Source: AAP | Published: Monday June 26, 12:56 PM Western Australia's eighth death in custody in seven weeks has alarmed the state government and angered prison activists who today accused jail authorities of 'atrocities' against inmates. A remand prisoner was found hanging in his cell at Hakea Prison in Perth yesterday afternoon, the tenth inmate to die so far this year, said Ministry of Justice acting director-general Terry Simpson. Nine prisoners died in custody in WA last year. The latest death has renewed calls for a top-level inquiry into deaths in custody and sparked fresh claims of 'atrocities' being committed against prisoners. Mr Simpson said the number of deaths was of enormous concern. 'This is a tragic event for all concerned - for the individual, family, for those (prison) officers and staff who were directly involved,' Mr Simpson told ABC radio. 'It's certainly an issue of enormous concern to us, that the number of deaths in our prisons has increased recently.' Deaths in Custody Watch Committee executive officer Kath Mallott said the deaths proved there was something seriously wrong with WA's prisons system, and claimed there was evidence of the use of torture devices and excessive use of isolation as punishment. A new royal commission was needed to examine these issues, as well as the continued high incarceration rate of Aborigines and allegations of corruption against prison officers. 'More than 10 years ago the findings of the Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody were handed down, yet we're no better off now,' Ms Mallott said. 'Barely 10 per cent of the 339 recommendations were implemented within the prisons system and it's clear we need another royal commission to find out why so many deaths are still happening.' However Mr Simpson said no prisoners were held in separate confinement in WA at present, and none of the 10 prisoners who had died this year were in isolation. 'I think it's quite disturbing that when a tragic incident such as this does occur, we have people making quite dramatic and irresponsible statements such as that,' he said. 'It certainly isn't helpful to a grieving family. It certainly isn't helpful to those within the system who are doing their best to prevent tragedy of this sort.' He said the ministry was reviewing all deaths in custody this year, seven of which have involved hanging and four of which involved Aboriginal prisoners. On January 6, two prisoners were found hanging in their cells at separate jails - a 33-year-old Aboriginal man at Roebourne Regional Prison and a 19-year-old remand prisoner at Hakea Prison. The spate of eight recent deaths began on May 7 when a 32-year-old man was found hanging in his cell at Casuarina Prison. A fortnight later, on May 22, a 30-year-old man collapsed and died in a workshop of the prison. The next day a 27-year-old man was found hanging in his cell at Albany Regional Prison, and just three days after that, a 25-year-old inmate of Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison collapsed and died after playing football. On June 5 a 27-year-old man was found hanging in his cell at Casuarina Prison, and two days later a 35-year-old Casuarina inmate died in Royal Perth Hospital after suffering an apparent stroke. On June 15 a 19-year-old remand prisoner at Hakea Prison was found hanging in his cell. The identity and age of the prisoner who died yesterday have not been released. -- ********************************** 'Click' to protect the rainforest: Make the Rainforest Site your homepage! http://www.therainforestsite.com/ ********************************** ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/