Indigenous Man Dies In Melbourne Prison Hours After Hospital Visit

An Indigenous man has died in a Victorian prison returning after from hospital on Wednesday.

The man in his 30s was being held at Port Phillip Prison in Truganina, Melbourne, and was treated at St Vincent’s Hospital, around 30 minutes east of the facility. He died later that night in a medical unit at Port Phillip.

“It is with great sorrow that Corrections Victoria acknowledges the passing of a prisoner at Port Phillip Prison,” a spokesperson from the state Department of Justice and Community said in a statement. “As with all deaths in custody, the matter has been referred to the coroner, who will formally determine the cause of death.”

Initial reports state that he was taken to St Vincent’s after an incident in his cell, with concerns raised about possible delays in medical assistance on the day of his passing, according to The Age, who also reported he was due for release in coming weeks.

“These are real people’s lives which have just been torn apart, again, by this system. The grief, the pain, and the loss is overwhelming,” said Victorian Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe in a statement. “The family demands respect and privacy as they process their grief.”

Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said preventative measures to address deaths in custody would be put forward in a meeting between states and territories on Friday.

He told ABC Radio Melbourne that he would like see a uniform custody notification and support service employed throughout the country, which would give Indigenous people in custody contact with family and legal teams.

“We’ve made a commitment in the election to assist families with coronial inquests with the hope that if these deaths in custody are examined, we will learn more about how they can be prevented,” he said.

A friend of the Indigenous man remembered him as a strong warrior, sharing that “we will catch up in the dreamtime brother,” according to The Age.