The Wire

Twenty years ago this week the royal commission into black deaths in custody handed down a landmark report. It found Aboriginal people were not dying at a higher rate than other prisoners but they were grossly overrepresented in Australian jails. Despite the report recommending that prison be used as a last resort, there are now more indigenous people in prison than in 1991. Aboriginal leaders say the system is failing and that radical policies are needed to stop Aboriginal people dying behind bars.