"Incarceration Nation" is a 2021 documentary film written and directed by Dean Gibson. It examines the Australian justice system's treatment of Indigenous people, exploring the historical and contemporary factors contributing to their high incarceration rates. The film features interviews with various individuals, including activists and legal experts, providing insights into the systemic issues faced by Indigenous communities. Through personal stories and archival footage, the documentary aims to raise awareness and promote discussions about the need for justice system reforms.
Interviewees Individuals interviewed in Incarceration Nation.
Prof. Derek Chong – psychiatrist Joshua Creamer – barrister Apryl Day – daughter of Tanya Day Leetona Dungay – mother of David Dungay Jr. Mick Gooda – public servant, Human Rights Commissioner (2009–2016) Olga Havnen – CEO of Danila Dilba Health Service Debbie Kilroy – prison reform activist and lawyer Tony McAvoy – barrister Amy McQuire – author and journalist Keenan Mundine – co-founder of Deadly Connections Mathew Myers – ALRC Indigenous Incarceration Inquiry commissioner Teela Reid – lawyer Vickie Roach – prison abolitionist Jodie Sizer – Co-CEO of PWC's Indigenous Consulting (2016–2021) Carly Stanley – CEO and co-founder of Deadly Connections Jim Taylor – former WA police officer Assoc. Prof. Chelsea Watego – author and academic Prof. Don Weatherburn – National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre professor
Reception Writing in the Sydney Morning, Herald Craig Mathieson gave it 4 stars and states "It’s about a country that disproportionately punishes its original inhabitants, and it is in turn unnerving, shocking, and tragic; Gibson does not blink. It captures how the system can fail the individual, and with a test program in the NSW town of Bourke how some basic improvements might actually be made."
Also in the Sydney Morning, Herald Bridget McManus gave it 4 stars. She says "the film expands with evidence that has been hiding in plain sight. With the blessing of courageous families, incredibly distressing vision of abuse and neglect at the hands of police and prison officers is relayed. Indigenous lawyers, barristers and advocates – many of them relatively new faces on television – dissect the issue, tracing it back to colonisation with appalling historical footnotes, and offer solutions."
Eddie Cockrell of the Weekend Australian wrote "Incarceration Nation is distressing and exhausting, and that may well be the point".
Awards Award / Film Festival Year Category Recipient(s) Result Sydney Film Festival2021Documentary Australia Foundation AwardIncarceration Nation Logie Awards2022Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary ProgramIncarceration Nation BronzeLens Film Festival2022 Best DocumentaryIncarceration NationWalkley Awards2022Walkley Documentary AwardHelen Morrison, and Dean Gibson References
External links