Recommendation 330

This recommendation is assigned to CSNSW.

Recommendation

That the National Standards Body establish and maintain direct consultation with relevant Aboriginal organisations including Aboriginal Legal and Health Services.

Context

The Royal Commission identified the lack of recognition of culturally unique requirements of Aboriginal prisons in the National Guidelines. Recommendation 330 is directed ensuring the needs of Aboriginal prisoners are expressly considered in the Guidelines through consultation with Aboriginal legal and health services.

Detail of implementation

The Standard Guidelines for Corrections in Australia was revised in 1992 to reflect recommendations of the RCIADIC. The current 2018 National Guidelines are guided by principles which recognise the specific needs and cultural backgrounds of Aboriginal people.

Each correctional agency develops and maintains ongoing relationships, including consultation, with their Aboriginal Legal Services and Aboriginal Health Services, as well as Elders and other relevant Aboriginal organisations.  Feedback on outcomes from these relationships or consultation is provided to CSAC by its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori Working Group.  CSAC then provides feedback to Corrective Services Ministers at CSMC.

At the November 2022 CSAC conference it was agreed by Administrators that an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative and a Māori representative would attend in-person all future CSAC conferences to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori comment and feedback on agenda items.  The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative attended the first of these conferences in November 2023, with the Māori representative expected to commence attending at the May 2024 CSAC conference.  

The CSAC Senior Officers Indigenous Working Group (SOIWG) was established in November 2008 on the back of a trans-national meeting of senior officers within Indigenous business units, from Australia and New Zealand. The SOIWG was tasked to identify themes and priority areas on Indigenous issues for CSAC and Corrective Services Ministers.  At the November 2023 CSAC conference Administrators agreed to change the name of the SOIWG to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori Working Group, to better reflect representation of the group sitting in executive/senior management roles and the work carried out by the working group.