Deaths in Custody in Australia to 30 June 2011: Twenty Years of Monitoring by the National Deaths in Custody Program Since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody

“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) ... 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.” Sections of this report following an executive summary include: introduction and context; National Deaths in Custody Program; overview of all deaths in custody; deaths in prison custody; deaths in juvenile justice custody; deaths in police custody and custody-related operations; motor vehicle pursuit and shooting deaths; and conclusion.