Public hearing 27: Conditions in detention in the criminal justice system
The Royal Commission held Public hearing 27 over five days commencing on 19 September 2022. The hearing did not sit on Thursday 22 September, but reconvened for the fifth day as a virtual hearing from the Disability Royal Commission’s Sydney hearing room on 6 October 2022.
Public hearing 27 of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect & Exploitation of people with disability examined conditions in detention for people with disability in the criminal justice system. During the hearing, conditions in both youth detention and adult prisons were examined.
This hearing will largely focussed on conditions in detention in Western Australia.
The scope and purpose of Public hearing 27 is to:
- highlight the high rates of incarceration of people with disability, including First Nations people with disability
- hear about violence, abuse, neglect & exploitation against people with disability detained in youth detention and adult prisons
- examine why the policies, practices and responses have failed to address violence, abuse, neglect & exploitation against people with disability in these sittings
- examine screening and assessment processes for identifying disability upon reception to or during custody and assess the effectiveness of those processes and oversight and complaint mechanisms
- assess the effectiveness of oversight and complaint mechanisms
- hear from human rights groups and advocates about their work with people with disability in detention and their proposals for change
- consider the specific WA Government agencies’ responses to the issues outlined above including proposals for change.
Anyone who believes they have a direct and substantial interest in the subject matter of this hearing, as outlined in Practice Guideline 6, is able to make an application for leave to appear by 5pm on Monday, 12 September 2022.