Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Regional Report of Inquiry Into Underlying Issues In Western Australia

This report represents views of various Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in this State. Views were expressed both at conferences and meetings, throughout Western Australia during the past twelve months, in the written and spoken word. Map 1 provides details concerning where meetings and conferences were held in this State. While I primarily worked from my office which was located in Broome, I also worked out of the RCIADIC's Perth office, and undertook meetings and conferences throughout the State. Sometimes meetings were held in open settings, whereas at other times individuals chose to make available to the Commission 'confidential' statements. Appendix 2 makes available details concerning individuals and groups who were witnesses, or provided submissions, to this Commission. I have treated confidential material on the terms with which it was provided to me. During the course of my inquiries it was made clear that I had adopted an 'investigatory' position and to this end sought to encourage all sections of the community to put forward their views, which in turn would be subjected to questioning by myself as Commissioner. Leave to appear by Counsel was not approved at any of my conferences, nor were there any applications made for leave. Counsel were encouraged to put forward any views they wished. Only the Western Australian Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) and Counsel for the Committee to Defend Black Rights (CDBR) did so. The report is organised from two major inter-connected perspectives. The first section (i.e. Chapters 1 to 5) focuses on describing some of the background material in relation to Aboriginal people in this State concerning historical matters, demographic characteristics, those who died in custody, and Aboriginal experience of the criminal justice system. The second section (Chapters 6 to 2 1) focuses on, and further develops, the greater 'why' of those matters by describing contemporary Aboriginal social life, and some of the factors which impinge on that life, such as the effect of race relations, institutionalisation, powerlessness, exclusion and marginalisation. Initially, I shall describe some of the historical processes of colonisation as they have occurred in what is now known as Western Australia.