Australian Prisoners With Disabilities Routinely Face Sexual and Physical Abuse, Says HRW

A report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on February 7 found prisoners with disabilities were regularly experiencing physical and sexual abuse in Australian jails.The report released on Wednesday found that while people with disabilities accounted for 18 percent of the Australian population, they make up for 50 percent of people entering prisons. HRW interviewed 136 former and current prisoners with disabilities from 14 prisons and about a third reported experiencing physical abuse by fellow inmates or staff, and a quarter reported being sexually assaulted.The report also called for an inquiry to investigate the use of solitary confinement, noting almost all their interviewees were place into isolation units with some locked in cells for up to 22 hours a day. The report found many instances of solitary confinement were inappropriate, with some citing they were locked up because they expressed feelings of depression or anxiety. The HRW said solitary confinement often exacerbated mental illness. Credit: Human Rights Watch via Storyful