Expressions of interest are now open for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people connected to the Canberra region to join a new advisory committee that will help shape a formal inquiry into Indigenous deaths in custody at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
The ACT Government plans to establish a Board of Inquiry, and is seeking six to eight community members to guide the inquiry’s terms of reference and the appointment of board members.
Applicants must not work for ACT Corrective Services or deliver services to detainees at the AMC. Instead, the government is seeking people who have experience with, or an interest in, the justice system and its impact on Indigenous people — especially those who have been in custody — and who are committed to achieving better outcomes for detainees.
Dr Marisa Paterson MLA, Minister for Corrections, said it was vital to centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in shaping the inquiry.
“Firstly, I want to acknowledge the ongoing grief of the families of those who have died in the Alexander Maconochie Centre,” Dr Paterson said.
“We want this advisory committee to represent the local community and bring a range of perspectives and experiences into how we shape this board of inquiry.”
Expressions of interest are available on the ACT Government website, and have been circulated to local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.
