Bail laws
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (13:54): (948) My question today is for the Minister for Corrections. Minister, in 2024 there were 727 people in Victorian prisons that identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Since the Bail Amendment Bill 2025 came into effect, what is the current total number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people in custody in Victoria?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (13:55): I thank Ms Copsey for that question and her interest in this matter. In relation to this, obviously sometimes as a minister I do get questions and some are very specific, but I do have this information on hand, Ms Copsey, for that question. I am happy to share that at the moment. As of 6 June, is the information I have, there are 891 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the adult corrections system, so we have seen an increase, I think an increase that is relatively proportionate to the increase we have seen in custody. We do still have the lowest incarceration rate in the nation for people in custody, but we have seen an increase since our tough new bail laws have come into place. We have seen an increase in the remand population in custody. Across the system we were sitting at about 6000; we are sitting at about 6500 across the adult system, of which 14 per cent identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (13:56): I thank the minister. I am pleased that you are across this topic, but I must say it is disgraceful to be overseeing such an increase in the overincarceration of First Nations people. Minister, do you accept that the Bail Amendment Bill is contributing to the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in custody in this state and therefore the government is failing its commitments to the Closing the Gap report?
The PRESIDENT: I feel like that is asking an opinion. I will let the minister answer as he sees fit.
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice) (13:56): Thank you, Ms Copsey. As I said in my answer to the substantive, I think it is important to understand that Victoria does have the lowest incarceration rate, but there is clearly an overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in our criminal justice system throughout the whole system, and obviously, the corrections system being at the end of the process, there is a gross overrepresentation. As a government we are committed to Closing the Gap and we have made significant investments in this space, whether it be health care – and I have talked in this chamber before about Aboriginal health checks – or whether that be in wellbeing officers. But there is still an important role to play.
The supplementary question about the bail laws and their impact is probably best addressed by the Attorney-General. But I think I answered your supplementary in my answer to the substantive. As we are seeing an increase in the broader population of prisons, Aboriginal people are overrepresented throughout the justice system, so we are also seeing an increase in the Aboriginal population in custodial facilities. We have important work to do to make sure that we increase our services proportionally also.
Katherine Copsey: On a point of order, President, in the final seconds of the minister’s question I wonder if you could direct him to be relevant to my question about whether this is consistent with the Closing the Gap report.
The PRESIDENT: I indicated to the minister at the time that I believed the supplementary question was asking him an opinion. The minister has answered – as I said – as he can see fit in his role. I believe he has done that. He has got 2 seconds left, but he does not want to take them.