Aboriginal jail scandal

By Frank Noakes

PERTH -- An all-party state parliamentary inquiry has confirmed, once again, that Aborigines are heavily over-represented in Western Australian jails. Although only 1.8% of the community, they make up 46% of the prison population.

The report noted that an Aboriginal person is more likely to receive a custodial sentence for offences that would usually incur only fines.

Aboriginal people are 40 times more likely than whites to serve a prison term and eight times more likely to serve more than one term. Aboriginal people remain the most imprisoned race in the world.

Western Australia's general rate of imprisonment is far higher than that of any other state.

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