Listen to the lived experience of systemic institutionalisation

Aboriginal people are the most incarcerated people on Earth. In 1991 the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody delivered its final findings. Back then, the Commission was reporting on nearly 100 deaths in custody but today we’re approaching 500 deaths, with no signs of change. Today’s episode is about listening to the depth of insight into the impacts of prisons on prisoners themselves. Who better to really listen to than those directly experiencing the failures of the system? Yet their voices seem to fall on deaf ears. Throughout this episode Kutcha and Vickie reflect on what - or if - anything has changed since the investigations back in 1991. They discuss the deep impacts of incarceration and listen to the thoughts, feelings and stories from people on the inside. It can be difficult to imagine a world without prisons, but if we really listen to the experiences of incarcerated First Nations people it has to follow that we demand an end to their unjust imprisonment. In today’s episode, we hear from Chanel, Fuddy Junior, Al Boy, Jody, Angie, Bomber, Lester, and others in prisons across Victoria and Beyond the Bars broadcasters Janina Harding, Gilla McGuinness, Shiralee Hood, and David Dryden.