Time for Change: The Legacy of Veronica Nelson

It has been 31 years since the final report and recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was published, yet the rates of indigenous incarceration and deaths in custody continue to prove troubling across the nation.

An apt and poignant reminder of this systemic issue is the recent death of Veronica Nelson in Melbourne's Dame Phyllis Frost Centre on 2 January 2020 and the subsequent inquest undertaken by the Coroner's Court into her passing. The result of the five-week inquest uncovered a shocking series of fatal flaws in both the court and prison system and revealed ultimately that Veronica's death was avoidable. So, what needs to change to prevent similar tragedies moving forward?