Summary
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people are recognised as the oldest continuous cultures on earth (Commonwealth of Australia 2017). First Nations people have a holistic concept of health and wellbeing, which is recognised and supported in Government policies and services (Department of Health 2021).
It is important to understand how the past shapes the lives of First Nations Australians today: they have a long history of trauma, cultural dispossession, and forced displacement and assimilation, which affects their physical, mental and social wellbeing.
First Nations people make up a small proportion (3.8%) of the Australian population. Yet they are over-represented in Australia’s prison system, making up 32% of the total prison population, and are incarcerated at much higher rates than non-Indigenous Australians (ABS 2023a, ABS 2023b).
In addition to complex health and wellbeing needs, First Nations people in prison may also require access to culturally safe health care services.
The main data source for this report was the 2022 National Prisoner Health Data Collection (NPHDC), with findings supplemented by data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The NPHDC was conducted over a 2-week period, in all states and territories, except Victoria, providing a snapshot of the health and wellbeing of people in Australia’s prisons.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) (2023a) Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, ABS Website, accessed 15 February 2024
—— (2023b) Prisoners in Australia, 2022, ABS website, accessed 8 September 2023.
Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Closing the Gap Prime Minister’s Report 2017, accessed 15 February 2024.
Department of Health (2021) National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2021–2031, Department of Health and Aged Care website, accessed 15 February 2024.
Summary
1 About the data
2 Over-representation of First Nations people in prison
3 Who are the First Nations people in prison?
4 Why is the health of First Nations people in prison important?
5 What policies or standards guide the provision of health care to First Nations people in prison?
6 Social and economic background of First Nations people in prison
- Education
- Employment
- Housing
- Family
- Intergenerational imprisonment
7 What health and wellbeing issues do First Nations people in prison experience?
- Physical health and wellbeing
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Substance use
8 Health services in prison
- Culturally appropriate health care
- Access and appropriateness of health services
- Clinic consultations
- Medications
9 How prepared are First Nations people for release from prison?
- General preparedness
- Health at release
- Health services after release
- Summary and future directions
End matter: Acknowledgments; Glossary; More information; References.