media release 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: 042 7766044 Fax: 61(0)8 9227-5593 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] URL: http://www.deathsincustody.com/ 16th June 2000 PREMIER - PLEASE INTERVENE "Another person takes their own life whilst on remand at Western Australia's notorious Canningvale Prison. This has gone past the stage of numbers. The numbers of themself are truly horrific and in the absence of the Ombudsman's report, we can only ask the Premier to intervene and appoint a panel of professionals to investigate this State's incarceration practices. The buck stops at the top Mr Court" a spokesman for the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee said today. "We understand that the Western Australian Ministry of Justice has said that these "incidents" are unrelated? Unrelated! Each and every person was in the custody and care of the Ministry were they not?" "The community has had enough of promises on promises and spin doctors on Ministerial positions. No further rhetoric please Mr Foss," the spokesman said, "we must have results from Western Australia's penal system. This Committee seeks not to debate any politicians or senior bureaucrats in a point scoring exercise whilst Royal Commission Recommendations remain unimplemented." The spokesman emphasised. "Premier, may we be constructive? Perhaps this issue is not just custodial or penal; perhaps there is a medical/psychological component? We seek to have your Ministry of Justice report all cases of self-harm. Then to treat these cases as a medical issue and subject the gross number of incidents of self-harm to epidemiological scrutiny. Perhaps then we may begin to understand, not just the tip of the iceberg, not even the iceberg itself, but to understand the glacier." "Nevertheless, for the family of this most recent death, and all custodial deaths, we demand that the Attorney General of Western Australia truly implement recommendation 23 of the Royal Commission: Recommendation 23: That the family of the deceased be entitled to legal representation at the inquest and that government pay the reasonable costs of such representation through legal aid schemes or otherwise. "Then at least the family of this person, and of all families of deaths in custody might be professionally represented at the Coronial inquiry. This is both reasonable and required," the spokesman concluded. Media Contact: Jim Duffield 042 7766044 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + "To monitor and work to ensure the + + effective implementation of the + + recommendations of the Royal Commission + + Into Aboriginal Deaths In Custody" + + + +http://www.deathsincustody.com/+++<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>+ -- 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
