The Incarceration of Indigenous Youth: What You Don't See

Picture source: Illustration by Ben Thompson

Just under half of all minors in the New South Wales juvenile justice system are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait descent. This statistic is a grim insight into the reality of Australia's problem with the incarceration of Indigenous youth, however it is only that: an insight.

Statistics and frightening facts can only reveal the tip of the iceberg in terms of the abhorrent problems that the imprisonment of Indigenous minors can engender. Juvenile detention reinforces a negative attitude of worthlessness that perpetuates the systemic problem of Indigenous over-representation in prisons into adulthood. The detriment to mental health extends into thoughts of self-harm and suicide.

Vice Australia provides a shocking yet shrewd peek into what young Indigenous offenders experience in juvenile detention. Australian rapper Briggs is allowed access into Reiby Juvenile Justice Centre and interviews a number of offenders as well as correctional staff. He provides a fantastic commentary on the reality of life behind bars as a young Indigenous Australian, and the voices of his interviewees paint a story far darker than many would think.

Check out the documentary here.

References

http://www.vice.com/en_au/video/briggs-live-at-juvie-v22n9a