Redfern Legal Centre (RLC), the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited (ALS) are calling for immediate reform of the NSW fines system as a new report reveals that a heavy-handed approach to policing public health orders (PHOs) resulted in 3,628 children in NSW receiving COVID fines.
17 March 2024
Dear Premier Minns,
Don't turn your back on Closing the Gap.
Throwing more children in jail will make crime worse in regional communities, not better.
Throwing more children in jail will lead to horrific outcomes for communities, families and those children, compounding abuse and trauma.
Throwing more children in jail will cause unspeakable damage to Closing The Gap and efforts to create a better future for Aboriginal children in NSW.
In New South Wales, over seven years (from July 2016 to June 2023), a total of 1,546 children were subjected to an invasive strip search by NSW Police. An average of 220 children each year.
A submission to the Legislative Council inquiry into the equity, accessibility and appropriate delivery of outpatient and community mental health care in New South Wales, prepared by Redfern Legal Centre.
The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) has just released the NSW Police Use of Force Manual. Redfern Legal Centre has pushed to have the use of force examined by the LECC and for police documents about the use of force to be released.
Police are conducting more than 150,000 body searches annually across NSW, with children and Indigenous people more likely to be targeted. Redfern Legal Centre obtained NSW Police statistics about person searches via access to information laws.
Revenue NSW has conceded that many COVID-19 fines are invalid. But what does that mean for the rest of the community who may have received or paid fines?