2016-09-26
The Australian Greens have called for an independent investigation into the death of a young Aboriginal man in a South Australian prison while demanding strong action be taken to reduce the rate of Aboriginal incarceration in the state.
"Our thoughts are with this young man's family and friends," South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
"This case is tragic and requires more than an internal police investigation. What we need is a rigorous independent investigation to get to the bottom of exactly what happened here.
"Aboriginal South Australians face an incarceration rate 13 times higher than the rest of the population. Almost a quarter of all people in our prisons are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background.
"Governments at all levels have consistently failed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. South Australia needs to stand up as a state and say that this has gone on long enough.
"The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody handed down a report 25 years ago, but many of the recommendations have still not been implemented. The mass incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remains a shame on our state and our nation."
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