Crime and justice

Description

This chapter seeks to provide indicators of Indigenous women’s experiences in the Western Australian legal system, in order to highlight various aspects of disadvantage. Where possible, comparative data are also presented for the total female population of WA. There are no sources of reliable data for some of the indicators discussed, and these important gaps are identified in order to encourage responsible agencies to collect such data. Identifiers discussed include: Indigenous women in the legislative process, including State Parliament, Federal Parliament and Western Australian local government; Indigenous women in the WA legal system, including as judiciary and lawyers, law students and Justices of the Peace; Indigenous women police and prison officers; access to legal services for Indigenous women; and arrest and imprisonment of Indigenous women, including number and rate of imprisonment, prior imprisonment, fine defaulting, use of legal services, arrest within the last five years, and having family members in prison.