media elease DEATHS IN CUSTODY WATCH COMMITTEE (WA) Inc. 207 BEAUFORT ST PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA 6000 PO Box 8196 Perth WA 6849 Tel: 61(0)8 9227-5751 Mobile: 041993-0375 Fax: 61(0)8 9227-5593 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] URL: http://www.deathsincustody.com/ Saturday, 27 May 2000 WA Prison Horror Continues: Third death in five days. The Deaths In Custody Watch Committee was today horrified to hear of yet another prison death, the third death to occur in WA Prisons in five days and the fourth death in two weeks. The latest death was that of a 25-year-old, Aboriginal man in Kalgoorlie Prison, who was found in a state of collapse at 6pm yesterday (Friday). The Ministry of Justice immediately made a statement to the effect that there were no suspicious circumstances, even though the death is now subject of a coronial inquiry and the Ministry's statement is a blatant attempt to pre-empt the Coroner's findings. Their statement also seeks to minimise the fact that three young men have died in their prisons this week and a fourth prisoner died two weeks ago. Of the four deaths, three of the men were Aboriginal. The Aboriginal community is outraged at the shameful carnage within WA jails. "Our people are still dieing in their jails, and yet the prisons, the Ministry of Justice and the Minister, continue to try to hide the facts surrounding each death." Said Murray Jones, Chairperson of the Watch Committee. "If they have got nothing to hide, why have they tried to stop the Watch Committee's own independent investigation of prison deaths, and why have they so strongly resisted our Forensic Consultant gaining access to the scene of death and photographing necessary evidence on behalf of the lawyers representing the families?" said Mr Jones. "This organisation will not be bullied by Manager of Prison Services, Terry Simpson, who today stated that the Watch Committee has nothing to do with investigating deaths in prison custody." "We will not be silenced. We have had enough of their jails and their indifference to the pain caused by these deaths. These were young men who had families and communities and people who cared about them." "We call for a full Royal Commission into WA prison deaths and for the Prison Police Unit to be replaced by independent investigators." Media Contact: Murray Jones Chairperson 08 9265-6934 0407191469 To monitor and work to ensure the effective implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths In Custody -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
