A new online database of Australian deaths in custody has been created by the University of Queensland, with the stated goal of making it easier for the public to understand the widespread and nuanced issue.
The UQ Deaths In Custody Project, launched at the beginning of the month, compiles information on deaths in custody across each Australian state and territory, while also offering users more specific information about each death.
It is the first time a continually-updated and searchable database of deaths in custody has been made public.
Basic information about each individual is listed, along with their causes of death as determined by coroners.
Information pertaining to their status as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is also available, and comes after the the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody formally recommended the formation of such a database back in 1991.
The database, which arrives a year after the conclusion of the damning Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory, also keeps note of juveniles who died in detention.
The website, which has been collated by staff and student volunteers at the university, can be accessed HERE.
