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| Adult Incarceration in Australia |
Recently, during a conference for Official Visitors of jails in NSW, I learnt that around 27% of Australia's jail population were indigenous1 (that is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders), when the indigenous proportion of the general Australian population is only around 3%. The indigenous representation in jails is extraordinary, and alarming.
We Maltese have no experience of an aboriginal population. I remember being surprised on arrival in Australia, or more specifically Sydney, as in daily life I could not note people obviously aboriginal, except for a few in well known tourist haunts, such as Circular Quay.
It was years later that I realised that although unrecognised, several aboriginal persons may have light skin, even being blond and blue eyed. My eyes were opened by an aboriginal Uncle during the citizenship ceremony, who looked Anglo-Saxon, who had explained that there was much mixing by communities with time.
I can add that around Australia, in other states like Queensland and especially the Northern Territory, there are many other people who have the more traditional aboriginal appearance.
Coming back to the jail situation. Another statistic is that aboriginal adults are incarcerated 13 times more often than non-aboriginal adults, and for minors the ratio is 24 times!
This situation is only one example of life's divide between being aboriginal and not, where the former have a lower life expectancy, higher child mortality, worse health and lower levels of education and employment, amongst others.2
The Australian Government's report 'Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage', which has been published approximately bi-annually since 2003, quotes several researchers who suggest that there are profound reasons for these issues, collectively called 'intergenerational trauma' being the result of colonisation, loss of land, language and culture, the loss of spiritual and cultural identity, the forced removal of children, racism and discrimination.3 This is apart from more immediate concerns of alcohol and drug abuse, mental health and child experiences of violence.
In my travels around Australia, I could see with my own eyes aboriginal people being blind drunk, roads full of rubbish and aimless loitering. Nevertheless, I have to say that I've seen these things also in non-aboriginal people, so that it's clear that these aren't just characteristics of indigenous people.
I was sad to note in that government report that although some aims of previous reports had been reached (such as a reduction in child mortality), others weren't (such as the rate of domestic and community violence) or indeed went backwards (such as a marked rise in incarceration, especially young people). The image below shows the marked increase in overall indigenous population.4
I think that many don't understand the lasting impact what indigenous people have gone through in this country. They think that the White Australia policy, forced removal of children etc happened decades ago, now are no longer the case and therefore all is well now. Hence when they hear of such problems, many people blame the indigenous, as if these choose the problems they are facing.
It would be much better if we all show a bit more respect to this ancient culture, that has its beauty and unique characteristics, as we Maltese have. People who are down on the ground and trying to get up need help, not disdain.
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Dan l-aħħar, waqt konferenza għal Viżitaturi Uffiċjali tal-ħabsijiet ta' NSW, tgħallimt li madwar 27% tal-popolazzjoni tal-ħabsijiet fl-Awstralja huma indiġeni1 (jiġifieri Aboriġini jew nies ta' Torres Strait), dan meta l-proporzjon ta' indiġeni fil-popolazzjoni ġenerali Awstraljana huma biss ta' madwar 3%. Ir-rappreżentanza indiġena fil-ħabsijiet hija straordinarja, u allarmanti.
Aħna l-Maltin m'għandniex esperjenza ta' popolazzjoni aboriġina. Jien niftakarni kont sorpriż meta wasalt l-Awstralja, jew iktar speċifikatament f'Sydney, fil-ħajja ta' kuljum ma nnutajtx nies li kienu ovvjament aboriġini, ħlief għal xi wħud f'postijiet magħrufa mat-turisti, bħal Circular Quay.
Kien xi snin wara li ndunajt li għalkemm ma jintgħarfux, diversi nies aboriġini jistgħu jkollhom karnaġġjon bajda, u saħansitra bjondi u għajnejhom blu. Kien fetaħli għajnejja Ziju aboriġenu waqt iċ-ċerimonja taċ-ċittadinanza, li kien jidher Anglo-Sassonu, li kien spjegali li sar ħafna taħlit tal-komunitajiet matul iż-żmien.
Irrid ngħid li madwar l-Awstralja, fi stati oħra bħal Queensland u speċjalment in-Northern Territory, hemm ħafna iktar persuni li għandhom id-dehra tradizzjonali Aboriġina.
Niġu lura għas-sitwazzjoni fil-ħabsijiet. Biċċa statistika oħra hi li adulti aboriġini jiġu inkarċerati 13-il darba iktar minn dawk mhux aboriġini, u għal minorenni l-istatistika hija ta' 24 darba!
Din is-sitwazzjoni hija biss eżempju wieħed tal-qasma fil-ħajja bejn dawk aboriġini u dawk le, fejn tal-ewwel jistennew tul ta' ħajja iqsar, rata iktar għolja ta' mortalità tat-trabi, saħħa agħar u livelli iktar baxxi ta' edukazzjoni u impjiegi, fost l-oħrajn.2
Ir-rapport tal-Gvern Awstraljan 'Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage', li ilu jiġi ppubblikat madwar kull sentejn mill-2003, jikkwota lil diversi riċerkaturi li jissuġġerixxu li hemm kawżi profondi ta' dawn in-nuqqasijiet, imsejħa kollettivament 'trawma interġenerazzjonali' b'riżultat tal-effetti tal-kolonizzazzjoni, telf tal-art, il-lingwa u l-kultura, it-tnaqqis tal-identità kulturali u spiritwali, it-teħid sfurzat tat-tfal, razziżmu u diskriminazzjoni.3 Dawn huma apparti effetti iktar immedjati bħall-abbuż tal-alkoħol u drogi, mard mentali u esperjenza miċ-ċokon tal-vjolenza.
Jien fl-ivvjaġġar tiegħi madwar l-Awstralja, stajt nara b'għajnejja persuni aboriġini fis-sakra ma' jarawx art, żdingar fit-toroq, u tlajjar bla skop. Madankollu, rrid ngħid li dawn l-affarijiet rajthom ukoll f'nies mhux aboriġini, ħalli nkun ċar li dawn mhumiex biss karatteristika ta' nies indiġeni.
Huwa ta' dispjaċir li ninnota f'dak ir-rapport tal-Gvern, li għalkemm xi miri ta' rapporti ta' qabel intlaħqu (bħat-tnaqqis fil-mortalità tat-tfal), oħrajn ma ntlaħqux (bħar-rati ta' vjolenza domestika u fil-komunità) jew saħansitra marru għall-agħar (bħaż-żieda qawwija fir-rata ta' inkarċerazzjoni, l-aktar taż-żgħażagħ). L-istampa fil-qiegħ turi din iż-żieda qawwija fl-inkarċerazzjoni tal-indiġeni.4
Naħseb li ħafna nies ma jifhmux l-impatt dejjiemi ta' dak li għaddew minnu l-indiġeni f'dan il-pajjiż. Jaħsbu li l-politika ta' firda, it-teħid sfurzat tat-tfal eċċ sar ħafna għexieren ta' snin ilu, u issa m'għadhomx isiru u għalhekk kollox sewwa issa. Għalhekk meta jisimgħu b'dawn il-problemi, ħafna nies aktarx iwaħħlu fl-indiġeni stess, qishom dawn qed jagħżlu l-problemi li jinsabu fihom.
Kemm hu aħjar kieku lkoll nuru ftit iktar rispett lejn din il-kultura antika tagħhom, li għandha s-sbuħija u karatteristiċi uniċi tagħha, bħal ma għandna aħna l-Maltin. Min qiegħed mixħut fl-art u qed jipprova jqum, għajnuna għandu bżonn u mhux stmerrija.
1http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4517.0, retrieved 3/11/2015
2http://www.australianstogether.org.au/stories/detail/the-gap-indigenous-disadvantage-in-australia, retrieved 4/11/2015
3Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2014; Commonwealth of Australia; Chapter 1.5 - The Historical Context
4Adult Imprisonment Rate (source Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage - Key Indicators 2014, Fig 4.12.2)
1http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4517.0, retrieved 3/11/2015
2http://www.australianstogether.org.au/stories/detail/the-gap-indigenous-disadvantage-in-australia, retrieved 4/11/2015
3Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2014; Commonwealth of Australia; Chapter 1.5 - The Historical Context
4Adult Imprisonment Rate (source Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage - Key Indicators 2014, Fig 4.12.2)
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