PIAC is committed to making our systems of detention fairer and to ensuring that any limits placed on an individual’s freedom of movement are justifiable.
Vulnerable people, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those with mental illness, are unnecessarily over-represented in the criminal justice system, including in custody.
PIAC’s legal and policy work in relation to policing and detention aims to ensure that Police use their power to arrest lawfully and appropriately, and only arrest as a last resort for vulnerable people, particularly children and young people. We use litigation to challenge inappropriate, unlawful or unjust detention.
We believe that people in detention should be treated fairly and respectfully and have access to appropriate healthcare. When rights are breached, we seek to ensure that there are appropriate mechanisms for remedy and redress. However, ultimately our work aims to reduce the number of young people held in custody, in particular young people held on remand.