NT ‘tackling’ high rates of indigenous incarceration, as data shows Territory has second-highest rate in Australia

The NT Government has defended its record on indigenous incarceration as new data shows the Territory continues to have the second-highest rate of aboriginal imprisonment in the country.

THE NT Government has defended its record on indigenous incarceration as new data shows the Territory continues to have the second-highest rate of aboriginal imprisonment in the country.

Health Minister Natasha Fyles also denied the NT Government was using the issue as a “political football” despite the Government opting not to make any changes to controversial mandatory sentencing laws until March 2021.

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Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles. Picture: Che Chorley

“We’ve tackled this issue, we’re addressing these issues,” Ms Fyles said.

“We are following the recommendations of the royal commission into youth detention, we are putting in place those programs … all these little things add up, and you see change over time.”

The NT imprisons 2.85 per cent of its adult indigenous population, second only to WA’s 4.1 per cent and higher than the national average of 2.6 per cent.

In NT youth detention, almost all incarcerated children are indigenous.

In March, Aboriginal children made up 97 per cent of all kids in detention.

It comes as indigenous minister Ken Wyatt confirmed justice targets would be included in the Federal Government’s “refresh” of the Closing the Gap report.

Australian Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

This would include more ambitious targets around reducing the incarceration rate of indigenous adults by 5 per cent and youths by 19 per cent.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner, in an interview on radio yesterday, supported the move but said the targets should be tailored by jurisdiction.

Mr Wyatt described every death in custody, of which there have been 434 since 1991, as a “tragedy”, days after tens of thousands of people took part in Black Lives Matter rallies across the country.

“If we want to reduce the number of deaths in custody, we need to look very closely at what’s happening here in Australia – the factors contributing to incarceration rates and the way in which our systems are handling these incidents,” he said. “This requires a co-operative approach between government and with communities, particularly when states and territories hold the policies and levers relating to policing and justice matters.”