Nonetheless, all Commissioners, and especially Commissioner Dodson whose brief enabled him to concentrate on these issues, were able to provide valuable insights into the underlying issues. The extraordinary range of submissions received and consultations held have also greatly added to the understanding of the underlying issues. The Commissioners published a discussion paper in October 1989 noting the issues which we regarded as significant and upon which we invited comment. Response to that invitation has been very great and, coupled with reports made by Aboriginal Issues Units set up in each jurisdiction, Commissioners were able to plan the framework of this report with some confidence that the proper range and priority of underlying issues had been identified. The very fact that such a multiplicity of issues play a part in the final, tragic result of deaths in custody presented difficulties in devising a framework of the report.
Issues overlap and the interplay between issues is both complex and subtle.
If occasional repetition or reiteration of ideas serves to remind the readers of the complex interrelationship of issues then a useful purpose has been served. The report, conceptually, follows this approach. In Chapter 1, I provide an overview of the investigation into the deaths in custody. In this Chapter I will identify the major conclusions reached as to the phenomenon of Aboriginal deaths in custody. In Part A, Chapters 2 to 4, I look at those issues most proximate to the deaths which emerged from the inquiries into the individual deaths.