Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Data Archive

National police custody survey, Australia, August 1988

This study is one of several studies conducted for a Royal Commission inquiry into aboriginal deaths in custody. Since some 60 per cent of the Aboriginal deaths in custody being investigated by the Royal Commission occurred in police custody, it was considered important that data be available on the numbers and characteristics of people held in police cells in Australia.

Topics covered in the present study include the timing and reasons for the individual's placement in custody and removal from custody, and whether the individual was alone or with others during custody. Background variables include age, sex, race (aboriginal or non-aboriginal) and geographical location.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, researchers and other users should be aware that material in this dataset may contain material that is considered offensive. The data have been retained because it represents an evidential record of language, beliefs or other cultural situations at a point in time.

In line with normal ADA policy, variables (such as postcode) which could possibly be used to identify individuals have been removed or recoded from the public data file. Much of the original data, however, have been made publicy available by other parties, and if researchers would like to access the original data files, they can contact ADA and make a case for gaining access to these data.
Dataset ID: 
au.edu.anu.ada.ddi.00601
Principal Investigator: