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| Nigel Scullion scoffs at proposed national target on Indigenous jail rates Nigel Scullion scoffs at proposed national target on Indigenous jail rates | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Nigel Scullion says introducing national targets to reduce rates of Indigenous incarceration was “foolish” and would “undermine the credibility of Close the Gap”. | Nigel Scullion says introducing national targets to reduce rates of Indigenous incarceration was “foolish” and would “undermine the credibility of Close the Gap”. |
| The measure, which was intended to deal with the high rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment, was recommended by the Close the Gap campaign’s steering committee. | The measure, which was intended to deal with the high rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment, was recommended by the Close the Gap campaign’s steering committee. |
| Scullion, the Indigenous affairs minister, told a Senate estimates committee hearing on Friday that it it didn’t make sense to suggest the federal government should add justice to the list of targets in the annual Close the Gap report because it had no control over that area. | Scullion, the Indigenous affairs minister, told a Senate estimates committee hearing on Friday that it it didn’t make sense to suggest the federal government should add justice to the list of targets in the annual Close the Gap report because it had no control over that area. |
| “It’s a nonsense if we say we’re going to go and do that and we have absolutely no responsibility over the levers,” he said. “We need to ensure ... that those people who have the levers have the targets.” | “It’s a nonsense if we say we’re going to go and do that and we have absolutely no responsibility over the levers,” he said. “We need to ensure ... that those people who have the levers have the targets.” |
| Scullion said the push to introduce justice targets “undermines the credibility of the Close the Gap. It undermines the credibility of targets on things we should be held to account for.” | Scullion said the push to introduce justice targets “undermines the credibility of the Close the Gap. It undermines the credibility of targets on things we should be held to account for.” |
| The Greens senator Rachel Siewert said reducing incarceration rates was a priority for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and targets could drive that. | The Greens senator Rachel Siewert said reducing incarceration rates was a priority for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and targets could drive that. |
| Contrary to Scullion’s claims, Siewert said the federal government did have decision-making powers in this area. | Contrary to Scullion’s claims, Siewert said the federal government did have decision-making powers in this area. |
| “In the past decade we have seen an 88% increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ending up in prison,” she said. “I think it is about time minister Scullion took justice targets seriously.” | “In the past decade we have seen an 88% increase in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ending up in prison,” she said. “I think it is about time minister Scullion took justice targets seriously.” |
| The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, mentioned high incarceration rates in his speech before handing down the Closing the Gap report on Wednesday, saying: “When young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men see jail as a rite of passage, we have failed to give them a place in society, in our community, and an alternative pathway where they can thrive.” | The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, mentioned high incarceration rates in his speech before handing down the Closing the Gap report on Wednesday, saying: “When young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men see jail as a rite of passage, we have failed to give them a place in society, in our community, and an alternative pathway where they can thrive.” |
| But he did not suggest introducing a new justice target. | But he did not suggest introducing a new justice target. |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3% of the general population but 27% of the prison population in Australia, and are 13 times more likely to be jailed than non-Indigenous people. | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3% of the general population but 27% of the prison population in Australia, and are 13 times more likely to be jailed than non-Indigenous people. |
| Rates of imprisonment are even higher in the juvenile prison population, with Indigenous children 26 times more likely to be jailed than non-Indigenous children, a statistic the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Mick Gooda, has branded a “national emergency”. | Rates of imprisonment are even higher in the juvenile prison population, with Indigenous children 26 times more likely to be jailed than non-Indigenous children, a statistic the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Mick Gooda, has branded a “national emergency”. |
| Scullion said he was working to “influence” states such as Western Australia, which has the highest rate of Indigenous youth imprisonment, to “resolve” problems like jailing people for fines, which has been criticised as disproportionately affecting Aboriginal people. | Scullion said he was working to “influence” states such as Western Australia, which has the highest rate of Indigenous youth imprisonment, to “resolve” problems like jailing people for fines, which has been criticised as disproportionately affecting Aboriginal people. |
| Stephen Gray, from the Castan Centre for Human Rights, said Scullion’s comments were “a cop-out” and the federal government could still set the direction. | Stephen Gray, from the Castan Centre for Human Rights, said Scullion’s comments were “a cop-out” and the federal government could still set the direction. |
| “It’s a cop-out to say the rates shouldn’t be a target because the commonwealth doesn’t have responsibility,” Gray said. “The same could be said of health and education, in which the commonwealth and states work together at the targets.” | “It’s a cop-out to say the rates shouldn’t be a target because the commonwealth doesn’t have responsibility,” Gray said. “The same could be said of health and education, in which the commonwealth and states work together at the targets.” |
| Gray said the argument was “even less applicable” in the Northern Territory where the commonwealth had expanded powers, including governing the ability of NT courts to consider Aboriginal customary law in sentencing. | Gray said the argument was “even less applicable” in the Northern Territory where the commonwealth had expanded powers, including governing the ability of NT courts to consider Aboriginal customary law in sentencing. |
| The Castan centre published a damning assessment this week of the NT intervention’s progress on Close the Gap targets and argued that reducing incarceration rates should be included as a formal target. | The Castan centre published a damning assessment this week of the NT intervention’s progress on Close the Gap targets and argued that reducing incarceration rates should be included as a formal target. |