Deaths in custody

[pmccarthy]

Can someone summarise the findings of our 1990s enquiry? I thought it concluded that death rates in custody were broadly the same for black and white. If true, then the problem is the relative crime and arrest rates. That is just my recollection, but perhaps many people like me don’t think that the police are selective in their treatment of prisoners in Australia.

[red750]

To die in custody, first you must do something to wind up in custody.

[old man emu]

Don't forget that the definition of "death in custody" includes any death that happens from the time a constable decides to restrict a person's freedom of movement. The death does not have to occur in a place of detention (police station, or even a police vehicle). That is why deaths occurring as a result of motor vehicle pursuits are included in the stats. The pursuit could even be a pursuit on foot where the pursued comes to grief through a fall. Even deaths in prison due to natural causes go into the stats pot.

 

To die in custody, first you must do something to wind up in custody.

 

That is the truth of the matter, but have you ever noticed that every person who dies in custody was always a loving son or daughter who was a pillar of society?

[red750]

Slightly aside, my wife commented how Michael Jackson (suspected paedophile), Carl Williams (drug runner, thug) and George Forbes (rape and armed robbery) all had gold coffins. A lot of good it did them.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Guest