THE family of an Aboriginal elder who died of heat-stroke in a prison transfer van have been awarded a $3.2 million ex-gratia payment by the State Government.
Mr Ward, an elder whose full name cannot be used for cultural reasons, died in the back of the van on the way from Laverton to Kalgoorlie in WA's Goldfields region in January 2008.
"The DICWC (WA) Inc will continue to monitor and work to see the effective implementation of the 339 recommendations into the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody 1991"
View footage of 16th Sept 09 Parliament House Action on our facebook page. See Ms Ward's speech (Mr Wards Cousin) and the handing over of more than 5,000 signatures in a petition to the State Government of Western Australia. Footage of this event and previous actions can be viewed at KultureJAMTV
The campaign continues - 2010. The state government of Western Australia refuses to recognise it role and that of previous governments in the crisis currently facing our prison system. There continued inaction will result in an overcrowding of our prisons to dangerously high levels for inmates and prison workers.
The Deaths In Custody Watch Committee (WA) Inc is committed to the cause of Justice and Human rights for people when incarcerated and will be campaigning hard in the coming year for improved conditions for both prisoners and custodial staff.
The Public Meeting on 27 January to mark the 2nd anniversary of the death in custody of Mr Ward was very successful in initiating a grass roots campaign around the current prison overcrowding crisis.
A diverse range of people came together to say that our current criminal justice system is broken and needs to be fixed!
The Public Meeting on 27 January to mark the 2nd anniversary of the death in custody of Mr Ward was very successful in initiating a grass roots campaign around the current prison overcrowding crisis.
