Justice Systems

  • 23 Mar 2016

    ALP Commitment to Reform of the CLMIA Act

    At the WA Mental Health Conference Mark McGowan made a public commitment to reforming the Criminal Law (Mentally Impaired Accused) Act (CLMIA Act) during his first year in office.

  • 25 Jan 2016

    Act now to keep the Disability Justice Centre where it is

    People continue to be locked up in prisons indefinitely because of their disability or mental illness. This can happen under our states mental impairment law if they are found unfit to plead or not guilty on the grounds of a mental illness. Tell the Premier to reform the Act and keep the Disability Justice Centre where it is.

  • 20 Jan 2016

    Media Release - Disability Justice Centre must stay where it is

    WAAMH together with Developmental Disability WA (DDWA) join with disability and mental health advocates today in welcoming the state government’s decision to review the operations rather than the existence or location of the Bennett Brook Disability Justice Centre, following the misinformation and fear mongering about residents who absconded on New Year’s Eve and subsequently returned in the days following.

  • 17 Nov 2015

    ERA Inquiry into the efficiency and performance of WA Prisons

    Following extensive engagement with the ERA during 2015 alongside WANADA and WACOSS, WAAMH completed a second submission to the Inquiry earlier this year. The Final Report of the Inquiry is now available and has now been provided to Parliament.

  • 02 Oct 2015

    Call for change: justice reform for people with mental illness

    Mental Health Week is now upon us and we hope you will be joining us to celebrate by attending one of the many exciting mentally healthy events on offer. Take a moment too, to think of those who do not have the freedom to attend and add your voice to our urgent reform of the CLMIA Act.

  • 04 Sep 2015

    WAAMH Submission

    WAAMH’s latest submission to the Economic Regulations Authority’s Draft Report of the Inquiry into the Efficiency and Performance of Western Australian Prisons identifies the need for greater focus on rehabilitation, additional mental health benchmarks, vastly improved mental health care in prisons and a review of prison health governance arrangements.

  • 07 Aug 2015

    CLMIA Advocacy Brief: Priorities for Urgent Reform

    Following extensive consultation and practice experience, the community-managed mental health, disability and community sectors stand united to call for reform to the Criminal Law Mentally Impaired Accused Act - here we set out the most critical reforms for urgent change.

  • 05 Aug 2015

    Media Release - Justice centre welcome but silence falls on critical legislative reform

    WAAMH has welcomed the opening of the first disability justice centre by the State government this week, but calls for critical changes to the Criminal Law Mentally Impaired Accused (CLMIA) Act, which is the legislation which determines who ends up in these Centres and for how long.

  • 10 Jul 2015

    Access to legal assistance submission

    In April 2015, WAAMH worked with Community Legal Centres Association (WA) Inc to provide a submission to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee on Access to Legal Assistance Services - An inquiry into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience of law enforcement and justice services. WAAMH’s component of the submission focused on mental health and the consequences of mandatory sentencing regimes on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander incarceration rates, the reasons for the high incarceration rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, women and juveniles, and the cost, availability and effectiveness of alternatives to imprisonment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

  • 09 Jul 2015

    CLMIA Priorities for Reform Advocacy Brief

    Achieve better outcomes for people with disability and mental illness in the criminal justice system by supporting the Advocacy Brief.