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Prisoners in a White Man's World

NCJ Number
75861
Journal
Corrections Magazine Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1981) Pages: 38-45
Author(s)
P B Taft
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The status of Aboriginal prisoners in Australian correctional institutions is reviewed, causes for the high incidence of Aboriginal incarceration are identified, and trends in this area are discussed.
Abstract
After two hundred years of exposure to European culture, Australian Aborigines remain largely insulated and unintegrated. Although they represent only 1 percent of the Australian culture, Aborigines comprise 20 to 30 percent of the Nation's prison population. Traditionally, infractions have been related to alcohol consumption and have consisted of less serious crimes. Many Aborigines experience repeated contact with the criminal justice system during their lives. In prison, Aborigines tend to be passive and conformistic. Racial tensions exist, but rarely escalate into incidents. Various aspects of Aboriginal culture contribute to perceptions of prison as nonpunishment, and as a result prison has little deterrent effect. Many Aborigines still follow tribal law, and tribal punishments -- usually violent -- are still enforced. Many criminal justice officials have little knowledge of Aboriginal culture and exhibit stereotypical beliefs. Aboriginals have increasingly become urbanized, although this has had no effect on their extremely high unemployment rate. Since 1967, when Aboriginals were voted full legal rights, an activist movement has developed, involvement in serious crime has increased, and Aboriginal youth have been left in a gulf between their own and European culture. These youth recognize neither Australian national law nor tribal law. Criminal justice officials have done little to ameliorate the increasing tension which these younger Aborigines and which changes in Aborigine beliefs and general conduct are bringing to the legal system.