Protecting Australia’s Incarcerated Aboriginals
Summary
TLDRThe video script captures the experiences and responsibilities of a Community Service Officer (CSO) at the Aboriginal Legal Service. It highlights the challenges faced by indigenous people in the justice system, the CSO's role in ensuring their welfare while in custody, and the importance of providing legal advice and support. The script also touches on personal stories of racial profiling and the need for building trust between the Aboriginal community and the police.
Takeaways
- 🕵️♂️ The script revolves around the experiences and responsibilities of a Community Service Officer (CSO) at the Aboriginal Legal Service, who checks on the welfare of indigenous people in police custody.
- 📞 The CSO is on call from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., handling calls related to indigenous individuals who have been arrested and are going through the police system.
- 🚔 There is an over-representation of Aboriginal people in the justice system, which is a significant concern addressed in the script.
- 🏥 The CSO is responsible for ensuring the welfare of those in custody, including checking for medical issues or the possibility of death in custody, which is a grave responsibility.
- 🤔 The script highlights the lack of access to legal advice for some individuals before their police interviews, which can be problematic.
- 👥 The Aboriginal Legal Service has a strong team of workers who support each other, especially during stressful times, with some workers being available around the clock.
- 📞 The CSO often communicates with clients to ensure they are okay and to provide legal advice, as well as to contact family members if necessary.
- 🌆 The service covers a large geographical area, including Victoria and recently expanded to Tasmania, with a small team managing a significant workload.
- 🚨 The script mentions the fear and mistrust that some indigenous people have towards the police, stemming from historical and personal experiences of racism and mistreatment.
- 👮♂️ There is a push for better relationships between the police and indigenous communities, with the recognition that there is a need to repair past damages.
- 🛌 The CSO's work schedule is demanding, often involving long hours and interrupted sleep, reflecting the dedication required for the role.
Q & A
What is the role of the person speaking in the transcript?
-The person speaking in the transcript is a Community Service Officer (CSO) working for the Aboriginal Legal Service, responsible for checking on the welfare of indigenous people in police custody.
What are the working hours of the CSO mentioned in the script?
-The CSO works from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., which is a 12-hour shift.
What is the CSO's responsibility regarding individuals in police custody?
-The CSO is responsible for ensuring the welfare of individuals in custody, which includes checking on their well-being and ensuring they have access to necessary support and legal advice.
Why is there a specific legal service for Aboriginal people?
-There is a specific legal service for Aboriginal people because they are over-represented in the justice system, and this service aims to provide them with the necessary support and legal advice.
What is the significance of the CSO's role in preventing negative outcomes for individuals in custody?
-The CSO's role is significant because they are the point of contact for individuals in custody, and if something goes wrong, such as a medical issue or death in custody, the responsibility falls on the CSO.
What challenges do the CSOs face in their work?
-CSOs face challenges such as long working hours, high stress, and the emotional toll of dealing with individuals in difficult situations, including potential racism and injustice.
How does the Aboriginal Legal Service support its clients?
-The Aboriginal Legal Service supports its clients by providing legal advice, ensuring they have access to legal representation, and maintaining contact to check on their welfare while in custody.
What is the CSO's experience with racism and how has it influenced their work?
-The CSO has had personal experiences with racism, including being unfairly associated with a fight at a petrol station due to their race. This experience has motivated them to work with their own community to prevent such injustices.
What is the CSO's perspective on the relationship between the Aboriginal community and the police?
-The CSO believes that there is a history of mistrust and negative experiences between the Aboriginal community and the police, and that there is a need to repair this relationship and make people feel safe.
How does the CSO handle the emotional stress of their job?
-The CSO handles the emotional stress by relying on a supportive work environment, where they can reach out to colleagues like Gary, a senior worker, for support when needed.
What is the CSO's view on the importance of passion for one's work in their field?
-The CSO believes that having a passion for working with one's own community is essential, as it drives them to provide the best support and advocacy for those in need.
Outlines
👮♂️ Indigenous Legal Support and Custody Concerns
The first paragraph introduces the Aboriginal Legal Service's role in monitoring the welfare of indigenous people in police custody. The speaker discusses the responsibilities of a Community Service Officer (CSO), who is on call from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., ensuring the well-being of detainees and being the point of contact for any issues that arise, including medical emergencies or deaths in custody. The CSO also addresses the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the justice system and the importance of providing legal advice before interviews. The paragraph highlights the challenges faced by the service, including dealing with police stations and the emotional toll of the job, as well as the need for a good support system among workers.
🌆 The Scale and Impact of Legal Advocacy for Indigenous People
The second paragraph expands on the scope of the Aboriginal Legal Service's work, which now includes Tasmania in addition to Victoria. It discusses the demanding nature of the job, with workers often on call for 12-hour shifts and dealing with the physical and emotional strain that comes with it. The speaker shares a personal experience of racial profiling by the police, which underscores the importance of their work in protecting indigenous people from unfair treatment. The paragraph also touches on the historical trauma associated with police interactions and the fear that many indigenous people have towards police custody, emphasizing the need for continued advocacy and support.
🏡 Personal Stories and the Importance of Trust in Legal Services
The third paragraph delves into the personal stories of the speaker's family, who have had negative experiences with the police, leading to a limited trust in law enforcement. Despite this, the speaker's siblings work alongside the police, which is a source of concern for their father. The speaker discusses the importance of making indigenous people feel safe and the recognition by the police that there is a need to repair the relationship with the indigenous community. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's routine of working night shifts and the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance in such a demanding role.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Custody
💡Aboriginal Legal Service
💡Over-representation
💡Community Service Officer (CSO)
💡Welfare
💡Indigenous
💡Racism
💡Legal Advice
💡Suicidal
💡Police
💡Passion
Highlights
Individual in custody at the Aboriginal Legal Service due to drug-related issues.
Responsibility of a CSO to check on the welfare of individuals in custody, highlighting the potential consequences of neglect.
The Aboriginal Legal Service receives notifications for indigenous arrests and provides support from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Aboriginal people are over-represented in the justice system, indicating systemic issues.
Concerns about the lack of legal advice before police interviews for some individuals.
The importance of having a support system within the Aboriginal Legal Service to handle stress and workload.
The challenge of managing a large geographic area like Victoria and Tasmania with limited staff.
The physical and emotional toll of working long hours in legal service, impacting handwriting and recognition.
The necessity of passion for one's own people in the legal service field to ensure proper representation.
A personal account of a negative experience with police discrimination based on race.
The historical trauma associated with police interactions among Aboriginal people and its impact on trust.
The role of the Aboriginal Legal Service in providing a safe space and building trust with the police.
The issue of young Aboriginal individuals being picked up by the police and the need for support.
The personal impact of family history with police and the drive to work within the legal system to prevent similar occurrences.
The importance of recognizing historical injustices and working towards repairing the relationship between Aboriginal people and the police.
The daily routine and challenges faced by a legal service worker, including sleep patterns and the emotional burden.
A courtesy call from the Aboriginal Legal Service to inform about an arrest and the process that follows.
Transcripts
it looks like you've been in custody for
a while Bradley it's over here at the
aboriginal legal service a holding up no
I can't I can't heroin today when he was
so busy they knock and him ten bucks at
least I she started to go on the not
again there was a feeling to be her an
outlaw for salt II understand why you at
the police station
[Music]
can I just ask what he was picked up for
so he's been bailed to win sorry
8 February at Melba match Ringwood no
worries thank you we get all kind of
calls from people who are just scared
every time an indigenous person is
arrested and go through their system in
the police stations we're notified so it
all comes through to me and I'm on from
you know 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and that 12
hours I'm responsible for checking on
the welfare of these people it's a big
responsibility when you think about it
because if there's something goes wrong
while that person's in custody you know
if they have a medical issue or you know
the worst case scenario is they died in
custody that will fall back on me as a
CSO because I'm the person responsible
to call and check on the welfare over
here the aboriginal legal service that's
okay I'll ring you back a bit later we
get that a lot too like why why does
they have to be a service for Aboriginal
people specifically and the in it's the
facts the facts are that Aboriginal
people are you know over-represented in
the justice system hi Michelle it's over
here from the aboriginal legal service
are you going oh yeah not too bad it's
busy that's not too bad
yeah boys yeah yeah no worries thanks
the problem with that is that if they're
interviewing them straight away or not
then they don't have access to legal
advice before their interview that's a
problem the understand were you at the
police station yeah do you have any
family members you want me to contact
also I did you want from legal advice
what does to your interview right so
have you used or anything today are you
here under the influence of anything at
the moment okay so you're having
referrals or anything else okay so it's
been a few minutes okay so he's soap it
up yeah okay did he want to speak with
us at all do you know no worries we'll
call back and be out for alc I was going
okay we have a pretty good system our
workers are really good with each other
we have a good relationship so if I'm
very stressed I have something going on
I can always call Gary who's also senior
worker and he doesn't sleep so the three
of us that work full-time we don't
really sleep that much
I'm just calling I wanted to check in a
client about he was brought in um for
cream damage but I think he was a bit
drunk all back a bit later on it's huge
it's a huge job because Victoria is
pretty huge but also Tasmania as well
which we've only just taken on in the
last couple of months there's just one
worker and the solicitor if you were on
called you know for 12 hours at a time
by Wednesday Thursday once you've been
on for a few nights you can't even
recognize your own writing because
they're just like a dead tide it's not
just a job like they say on the police
messages um you have to have the passion
for your own people I suppose yeah yeah
what was the outcome as I just done he's
left awesome and you didn't get a ticket
for drunk so that's awesome are you okay
you're just not yeah okay so do you know
why you're there tonight
you just drove it what was gonna happen
with her tonight at the moment she's
sort of where we're getting a forensic
medical officer to come here to save you
can I have a chat to her just because
I'm probably not our respective own
she's made now quite violent in the
cells at the moment so we're just gonna
check on it do you think she's at risk
of suicidal she hasn't expressed any
suicidal thoughts to me she's screaming
her favorite and banging on the cell
door a little bit so she's she's in
there at the moment
[Music]
hey I'm just calling you and giving you
a courtesy call regarding Melissa just
letting you know that she is currently
at the police station and she's been
arrested they're gonna interview her so
once she's been interviewed I'll give
you a call back in let you know what's
happening yeah okay doll all right I'll
call you back a bit later okay thank you
no problems
I had a really bad experience with
police in South Australia where I went
into the petrol station just to get some
petrol and they had been a fight at that
station like five minutes before with
Aboriginal people and the police showed
up and they had said all you black
people need to get out and I said what
are you talking about I've just showed
up to pay for petrol but because I was
black I was immediately associated with
everyone else that was there and was
ordered to get out and if I didn't leave
I was going to be arrested and I had
worked as a field officer at that time
so I said I wouldn't your name your
badge number and it wasn't until the
next day that it was like my brother I
think I was shocked because he just
walked out with his head down and I
that's my older brother so I was like
are you serious
like you just accepted that so yeah that
kind of led me to think well I'd rather
work in with my own people make sure
that doesn't happen because I think that
too often people think that's the way it
is and they accept it and it shouldn't
be accepted
you're okay at the moment yeah and you
got mom and dad coming down or someone
to come down you don't know all right
what I'll do is call back a bit later
and see how you're getting on she was
like yeah no I'm fine
if I was in the place changing I'd be
like crying my eyes out but she's like
nah I'm fine she's only 14 but this
sadly though that's like not the first
time kid's been picked up things like
the youngest one was 10 and he is on ice
as well say yeah that was like awful for
Aboriginal people it's the history there
too
back in the day being being held by
police could only mean about Nick
something really bad and I couldn't
speak for everyone but I know that then
it's usually they're afraid to be locked
up by police because it's a scary thing
and it's yeah just some that's probably
one of the biggest issues that most of
our clients have is just being scared
that they're there in custody if you ask
people our age and we're like it not
even 30 yet if we've had a racist
experiences with
please nine times out of ten we'll say
yes we have yeah well she's popped up on
our systems did you check with her oh
[Music]
yeah maybe I'm asked her and when we
call back we might see if she yeah see
what she says
I've had people say how much Aboriginal
are you and I find that offensive
because I wouldn't ask that person how
wide are you they wrote about my father
they said he's a half-caste so you know
he can integrate with the white society
and he was taken by police in his place
in a really bad you know home for boys
and he had a lot of bad stuff happen on
my mom's side her parents were both
taken as well so they were all taken by
police and then trust of the police is
very limited so yeah but all my brothers
and sisters ended up like working
alongside police which is my dad's worst
nightmare it's like y'all my kids work
with police and he said I'll never pass
it on that's my life not yours so he's
pretty cool we still have a long way to
go in terms of building a relationship
with police our people feel more
protected here because their services
and they know that there's someone
that's going to call they know our
lawyers are going to chase them up and
they know that if they don't answer
their phone that we'll go to their house
and see if they're home they know that
but it's all about making people feel
safe and I think that police recognize
that that's an issue too with our people
and that's the first step is recognize
from that yep there's a history there
and we need to start repairing it and
yeah I'm all for that
so I'm just gonna go back to sleep until
5 o'clock probably get up have something
to eat like breakfast and then sleep
again until about 8 o'clock it's not all
over again
and then the guys will take over during
the day and sorry they'll be I'll be
pretty busy hi Bree its LV here at the
Victorian Aboriginal legal service how
are you getting there he's gone is he no
problems thank you very much
[Music]
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