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Death may have been preventable: Watch Committee

30 January 2008 - The van in which an Aboriginal elder died while on his way to prison in Kalgoorlie. (ABC)

A voluntary organisation says the death of an Aboriginal elder in the back of a prison van in the Goldfields may have been preventable.

Warburton community leader, Ian Ward, collapsed while being transferred from Laverton to Kalgoorlie in stifling heat on Sunday and died a short time later in hospital.

The chairman of the Deaths in Custody Watch Committee, Marc Newhouse, says calls have flooded in to them from Indigenous people around the state who are upset about the incident.

Mr Newhouse says they committee will be asking questions of the Attorney General and the Inspector of Custodial Services because there have been previous reports that the vehicles used to transport prisoners do not have proper facilities.

"A lot of people, many Aboriginal people across the state, are sick and tired of these sorts of deaths which for many people are preventable, they're preventable deaths and they shouldn't be happening," he said.

The Deaths in Custody Watch Committee is calling for a review of prisoner transport arrangements.

The vans used are government-owned but run by private contractors.

Mr Newhouse says things to need to change.

"Firstly, we'd like to see, in terms of transportation of prisoners, a complete review of the current arrangements," he said.

"There's been problems with the transportation of prisoners by private contractors in the past and we just think it's entirely inappropriate that an important function of that nature is privatised."

Posted Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:47am AEDT

Source: The ABC

Further information: respected Aboriginal elder Mr Ian Ward - death in custody

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