Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the consultation on the Criminal Justice System Issues Paper prepared by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

We support the Royal Commission’s focus on key issues that people with disability face when they come into contact with the criminal justice system, and affirm the critical issues identified in the Issues Paper.

Our submission addresses the following areas of concern that we believe warrant further attention:

  • Indefinite detention of people with cognitive and psychiatric impairment.
  • Children and young people with disabilities in out-of-home care/Care Services.
  • Children with disability in the youth justice system.
  • People with acquired brain injury (ABI) who interact with the criminal justice system.
  • The over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability in the justice system.
  • The NDIS and people with a disability in prison.
  • The NDIS and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the justice system.
  • Isolation in youth and adult prisons.