Aboriginal Suicides in Custody: A View from the Kimberley

Abstract

Aboriginal deaths in custody have become an issue of national concern and international attention. Amongst those dying are an increasing number who commit suicide. In the heated and tense arena of this politicized debate there are many views but little to back them up. The author examines the international literature on deaths in custody, draws from work on Aboriginal suicide in the Kimberley, including two suicides in police custody, and reports the finding of a survey of 100 prisoners conducted in the police cells in Broome. With the final report of the Muirhead Royal Commission several years away, it is imperative that all sources of information be examined to guide policy changes in the present.