Melbourne, Australia – Indigenous people are currently more incarcerated in Australia than ever before, making them the world’s most imprisoned population. Despite representing 3.8 percent of the national population, Indigenous Australians make up 33 percent of the prison population and are 17 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous individuals. In the southeastern state of Victoria, a group of artists is working to break this cycle. The Torch is a community-led organization that works with Indigenous inmates to teach artistic skills and reconnect them with their cultural heritage. Inmates also earn income by selling their artwork in galleries and to private collectors nationwide, with the funds being saved in a trust for their release. The results have been remarkable – inmates involved in the program have a recidivism rate of 17 percent for First Nations prisoners, compared to the national average of over 70 percent.
The “hyper-incarceration” of Indigenous people in Australia is a result of colonization, racism, and a focus on law and order by successive governments. The trauma of the Stolen Generations continues to impact Indigenous communities, with many individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, and involvement in the criminal justice system. The Torch program aims to address these issues by providing economic support, reconnecting individuals with their culture, and reducing recidivism rates. Despite its success, the program currently operates only in Victoria and is not federally funded.
Experts emphasize the need for policy change to address the systemic issues contributing to the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system. The legacy of colonization, ongoing racism, and harsh sentencing laws have created a “perfect storm” for the hyper-incarceration of Indigenous peoples in Australia. The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody made recommendations to reduce Indigenous imprisonment rates, but many of these have not been implemented. Recent data shows a significant increase in the number of Indigenous people in prison, with more than 550 deaths in custody since 1994.
The Torch program provides a pathway for Indigenous inmates to reconnect with their culture, earn income, and reduce their likelihood of reoffending. Participants like Sean Miller and Ash Thomas have found success through the program, with Miller returning to prison to help others and Thomas crediting the program with saving his life. However, more support and funding are needed to expand the program and address the root causes of Indigenous incarceration in Australia.