Indigenous Australians with mental health disorders and cognitive disabilities in Australian criminal justice system

The IAMHDCD (Indigenous Australians with mental health disorders and cognitive disabilities in Australian criminal justice system) Project is a large-scale community-based research study by the University of New South Wales. One of the principal research sites has been Alice Springs, where over 40 front-line workers from 22 services attended the recent launch of the next phase of the IAMHDCD Project.   

At the launch, there were calls for government to develop  a specific strategy to prevent people with cognitive impairments and mental health issues entering and re-entering the criminal justice system.

In a letter to to the Northern Territory Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, CLANT has expressed its strong support for this initiative.

This is by no means a new issue for CLANT. The papers presented on this topic by CLANT members at both our 2013 and 2011 conferences are worth re-reading, both for their careful analysis and their sensible recommendations for reform.