On the 35th anniversary of the final report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, a coalition of Western Australian community leaders has published an open letter urging urgent reform. The letter, signed by figures including former WA Governor Malcolm McCusker and Aboriginal leaders, calls for the full implementation of the commission's recommendations to address the ongoing crisis of Indigenous incarceration and deaths in custody.
The Royal Commission's report was tabled in Parliament on April 15, 1991. It contained 339 recommendations aimed at preventing deaths in custody and addressing systemic issues within the justice system. Despite this, Indigenous people remain drastically overrepresented in prisons, and deaths in custody have continued.
The open letter highlights that while all Australian governments have expressed support for the recommendations, implementation has been inconsistent and incomplete. Signatories argue that the lack of progress constitutes a national failure and demand concrete action, including justice reinvestment, raising the age of criminal responsibility, and addressing underlying social determinants.
The call for action comes amid renewed national scrutiny on Indigenous justice. The letter serves as a stark reminder that three and a half decades later, the foundational work for change exists but political will remains the critical missing component.
