The Wire

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are overrepresented in Australian prisons, and once there, they’re also more likely to suffer from mental illness. New research published in the Medical Journal of Australia this week has found a staggering three quarters of indigenous inmates in Queensland’s prisons have a mental disorder. The findings point to a serious gap in culturally-appropriate mental health services in the justice system.

Kimina Andersen is one of the papers’ authors and statewide coordinator for Indigenous Forensic Mental Health from Queensland Forensic Mental Health Services. She says the problem isn’t unique to Queensland, and while the findings are disturbing, they’re not surprising.