[THREAD] Today we released 'Critical Condition' - a report into the impacts of #COVID19au policies on First Nations people. We heard reports of over-policing, denial of basic sanitation in prisons & kids in out-of-home-care cut off from their families https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/27/aboriginal-people-in-prison-and-out-of-home-care-suffering-under-punitive-covid-19-restrictions

We heard reports of mob living in overcrowded conditions, and folks who are homeless, being issued with fines despite having nowhere else to go and no ability to pay the fines. This entrenches poverty & inequality and does nothing to keep people safe from Covid-19.

We also heard stories of babies being removed at birth and families having to fight to see a photograph, mothers being denied visits with their young children and the fear that this will impact on their future ability to be reunified as a family.

This has caused huge distress.

(I'll note that this comes after Sorry Day just this week, and two other reports this month into the alarming and disproportionate rates that Aboriginal children are taken from their families and put in out-of-home-care and in the youth criminal justice system)

With respect to family violence, international evidence clearly shows that during disasters family violence often increases - and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly women and their children, are disproportionately affected in crises such as Covid-19.

Terribly, we were told about women seeking help who were turned away. One women, R, sought entry to a Safety House that is run by police in her community. Police advised they couldn't help her as their resources were required on border and checkpoint patrols.

The family violence prevention sector is already underfunded, add to that the increased pressure of covid-19 restrictions and service closures, and women end up being denied access to justice and to safety.

Shout out to the @NationalFVPLS for the extraordinary work they do.

And finally CHILDREN. We still have children in youth detention during this pandemic. 10 year olds never belong in prison, but certainly not now.

Both kids AND their parents and families need to be together during these stressful and uncertain times. #RaiseTheAge

Many of the measures put in place to respond to Covid-19 are harmful to kids. Increased lock downs in youth detention centres (in Victoria emergency laws were passed that could see kids put in isolation for up to two weeks!) as well as limited access to family and lawyers.

Right now while restrictions ease up for some of us, the risk of Covid-19 getting into prisons and outbreaking there is still a huge concern - as are the lasting impacts of Covid-19 policies on family violence and child protection as the pandemic continues.

That's why we need to share the voices of First Nations people and organisations in this report & call for reform as we take a pause after the initial crisis, and look at the way forward for the weeks and months ahead.

You can find the report here: https://changetherecord.org.au/critical-condition

And if you can, we need donations to amplify these voices and make sure they are HEARD. I know times are tough for lots of folks, but if you can, a donation would go a long way: https://change-the-record.raisely.com/