Premier to take jail deaths personally
Colin Barnett has personally vowed to help reduce the number of Aboriginal people in WA jails after angry protesters mobbed him on the steps of Parliament.
The Perth rally against deaths in custody was one of several in capital cities across Australia and WA towns yesterday.
It came as the State Opposition demanded an independent inquiry into the death on August 4 of a 22-year-old Aboriginal woman, who died while jailed over unpaid fines of $1000.
Ms Dhu, whose first name is not used for cultural reasons, died three days after police took her to South Hedland watch house.
The Premier told protesters he would personally work with ministers to reduce deaths in custody and the number of Aboriginal people in WA jails.
"I will do that, you then judge me on whether I succeed or not, but I give you that commitment today," Mr Barnett said.
Later in question time, Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said the number of Aboriginals held for unpaid fines in WA rose from 101 in 2008 to 590 last year.
Mr McGowan asked how the Premier could justify a 500 per cent increase in Aboriginal inmates for fine defaults "on your watch".
"I don't seek to justify it at all and nor should I," Mr Barnett said. "People are in our prison system because they are offenders who have been found guilty. That is the reality."
Before her death, police took Ms Dhu to Hedland Health Campus several times after she complained of feeling unwell.
She was released back into custody each time except, police said, the third time when "her condition deteriorated and she passed away".
But a letter obtained by _The West Australian _reveals Ms Dhu was "pulse-less and not breathing" when officers took her to the hospital the final time.
The undated letter, from the WA Country Health Service Pilbara regional medical director, said "intense" resuscitation efforts on Ms Dhu continued for an hour.
Adding to the anger yesterday was confirmation a 31-year-old man committed suicide at Casuarina Prison on Wednesday night.
It is believed the man was found hanged in his cell.
Modern jails are not supposed to have hanging points under a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, which reported in 1991.
