Author Description

In September 1993 an indigenous juvenile was 17 times more likely to be held in custody than a non-indigenous juvenile, but by June 1996 the likelihood of detention was 21 times greater. Despite the recommendations contained in the report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, over-representation of indigenous juveniles has persisted. This paper presents trend information on the number of indigenous juveniles in detention. These data enable long-term analysis of the problem and provide the basis for policy innovation.