Aboriginal data and social indicators

This theme focuses on the critical role of data in addressing systemic injustices experienced by our community The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC) identified a significant lack of accurate, accessible, and culturally appropriate and in contact with the justice system. It also called for improved , including about our health, social outcomes, cultural identity, and economic wellbeing.

The RCIADIC recommended the creation of nationally consistent data systems to monitor deaths in custody. It also focused on the need for Aboriginal perspectives in developing social indicators; ethical and community-controlled research; access to family and cultural records; and improved program evaluation. It called for sustained investment in data on health, community development, and economic conditions. The overarching intent was to ensure that data informs reforms, supports self-determination, and reflects the lived experience of Aboriginal peoples.

Since the RCIADIC, several national data systems have been developed. The National Coronial Information System (NCIS) was established in 2000 and now contains data on over 450,000 cases investigated by coroners. The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) manages the National Deaths in Custody Program (NDICP), which monitors and reports on deaths in custody, and began real-time reporting in 2023. In Victoria, the Coroners Aboriginal Engagement Unit (2019) and actions under the Aboriginal Justice Agreement Phase 4 (AJA4) have strengthened data collection and Aboriginal identification. However, significant gaps remain. National police custody surveys have not been published since 2002, regular reporting to parliament has lapsed, and data on people held in police cells is not routinely published. Aboriginal identification in datasets remains inconsistent, and cultural and socio-economic research continues to be under-resourced.

While progress has been made in custodial data systems, the AJC has expressed concern that reforms often lack Aboriginal leadership and that critical areas—such as police custody data, access to family records, and culturally responsive research—remain neglected. The AJC has called for improved transparency, timely and public reporting, and Aboriginal data sovereignty. Through the Aboriginal Justice Forum and under AJA4, the AJC have advocated for enhanced data, better coordination across agencies, and reforms such as the Custodial Notification Service. Data is not neutral; it must be shaped, governed, and interpreted by Aboriginal people to ensure it supports justice and community empowerment. There needs to be much greater effort by governments to support Aboriginal data sovereignty and Aboriginal data governance.