Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "ALB News: MASH Under Threat; Black Death in Custody in Britain; Amnesty International" [1988] AboriginalLawB 43; (1988) 1(33) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 15

• News
• Mash Under Threat
• Britain: Black Death In Custody
• Amnesty International

---

News

MASH Under Threat

Moree Aboriginal Sobriety House (MASH), the only exclusively Aboriginal alcohol rehabilitation centre in North Western NSW, was placed in jeopardy by threatened funding cuts. Up until Thursday I1 August at 5.45 pm it looked as if MASH would be closed on Friday 12 August.

The Rehabilitation centre ran out of funds to buy food for the residents. Aboriginal Hostels Ltd, one of the centre's funding bodies, claims that meals should be budgeted at $1.23 per meal perperson. Mr John Kirk, MASH's administrator, explained to the AboriginalLB that $1.65 per meal per person was the lowest realistic expenditure which MASH could budget for. He said that Aboriginal Hostels did not understand that people suffering drug and alcohol addiction and withdrawal need more food than people in nursing homes. Many of MASH's clients suffer malnutrition. People need to be well nourished to be capable of understanding and recovering under MASH's programs.

For the past couple of years MASH has run into overdraft because they have tried to maintain decent food levels. MASH received a letter from Aboriginal Hostels Ltd which stated that after careful consideration they had decided not to cover the shortfall, which they claimed was due to mismanagement. This year the Department of Aboriginal Affairs on request guaranteed to pay the additional funding, coming to the rescue at the twelfth hour. MASH will receive its quarterly funding with no increases in October, leaving the question of next year's inevitable deficit unresolved.

Britain: Black Death in Custody

Anthony Mahoney, a 25 year old Afro-Caribbean from South-East London, was arrested and charged by Kensington Police with indecent exposure in August 1987.

Whilst appearing at a local Magistrates Court he requested hospital treatment.

• Mahoney wasremanded on probation pending medical reports.admitted to Brixton Police StationPlaced in a strip cell, Psychiatric Block.
• Put under Special Watch A to be checked every 15 minutes.

He was found dead the next morning, a victim of acute viral pneumonia and stiff with rigor mortis, testimony to the 9 hours he had spent unattended in the cell.

The Coroner recorded a death from natural causes aggravated by lack of care.

Amnesty International

The death of Edward Charles Cameron was recently listed by Amnesty International as a matter requiring URGENT ACTION, including telegrams letters and telexes etc to the WA and Federal Governments expressing regret and concern at the circumstances of Cameron's detention, and urging implementation of the recommendations of the WA Inquiry into Aboriginal deaths in custody.