Submission – Voices of Aboriginal Male Prisoners at the Metropolitan Remand Centre – Group 1

First Nations men in the Metropolitan Remand Centre describe how they are laughed at, targeted and taunted by prison staff, are sent to isolation for long periods, denied health services and have only restricted access to support, art and culture programs that are ‘taught’ and delivered by whitefellas. They say the across-the-board racism is why there are so many deaths in custody. The things that help are real community cultural programs, secure housing and employment opportunities. They are calling for the cost of phone calls and toiletries to be lowered, to be able to attend funerals and to have cultural packs.