InBrief

Papers to note

Human Rights Watch has published a report on the abuse and neglect of prisoners with disabilities in Australia. "I Needed Help, Instead I Was Punished" notes that people with disabilities, particularly a cognitive or psychosocial disability, are over-represented in the criminal justice system in Australia—comprising around 18 percent of the country’s population, but almost 50 percent of people entering prison. The report notes that, while research has focussed on barriers to justice for people with disabilities, "there is little information across different Australian states on their experiences once in prison". The report found that Australia is restricting and violating the rights of prisoners with disabilities and has failed to fulfil its international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. View the report here.