Painting the Picture of Indigenous Women in Custody in Australia

Abstract

This article seeks to paint the contemporary picture of Indigenous women in custody in Australia. In particular, the article presents and analyses the most recent data available on prisoner numbers, imprisonment rates, age, sentence length, offence type and recidivism. The article then considers some of the characteristics of Indigenous female prisoners, including their physical and mental health, their role as mothers, and their exposure to family violence. The implications of Indigenous women’s representation and circumstances in Australian prisons are also examined.

Keywords: Indigenous, Aboriginal, women, corrections