In 2001 the Qld Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Justice Agreement promised to reduce imprisonment rates in Qld by 50% by 2011. As the ten year period of the Agreement draws to a close, imprisonment rates in Qld have worsened rather than improved. With over 27% of adult prisoners being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, the effect on Qld families and communities is devasting. ANTaR Qld has been campaigning on Reducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Imprisonment in Qld since mid way through 2008. The three goals of the campaign are:

• to reduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment in Qld
• to keep the government accountable to its 2001 promises
• to work towards a new justice agreement for Qld

In February 2009 ANTaR Qld co-hosted a forum on the topic at Parliament House in conjunction with the Bridge Network. Forum participants workshoped issues, solutions and directions for a strategic Qld wide campaign to reduce imprisonment rates and incarceration rates in Qld. The report from the forum can be downloaded here. Other 2009 campaign activities have included:

• a letter to all newly elected MPs after the April election asking them what they were going to do to reduce imprisonment rates over the next three years
• the collection of 350 signatures asking the government to reduce imprisonment rates in Qld for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
• the formation of an ANTaR Qld based Campaign Working Group
• the formation of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Campaign Steering Group
• the role out of a community consultation process across SE Qld
• the bringing together of other human rights based agencies in partnership with the goals of the campaign
• a meeting with the Premier in which she agreed to prioritise the goals of the 2001 Justice Agreement meetings with relevant Ministers and Senior policy officers to put the issue back on the political agenda

For more information please contact the office on 3844 9800 or email office@antarqld.org.au