Australia: CMHA And PWDA Demand Justice And Urgent Reform Following Death Of Simon Cartwright At Silverwater Jail

Thursday 19 December 2024

Community Mental Health Australia and People with Disability Australia are united in their condemnation of the systemic failures in Australia’s mental health and justice systems and the regulated violence documented in the coroner’s report of Simon Cartwright’s death in 2021 at Silverwater jail. The report revealed that prison guards deliberately cut off his water supply, mocked his desperate pleas for help and fudged observation records to cover up systemic torture and restrictive practices.

These inhumane acts, compounded by the glaring inadequacies in mental health supports, highlights the urgent need for comprehensive reform.

Simon Cartwright was held in isolation at the time of his death and had a documented history of severe mental health challenges. This tragic incident is emblematic of a broader crisis: the criminalization and neglect of individuals with psychosocial disabilities and the continued use of restrictive practices that harm and kill people with disability.

“Simon Cartwright’s tragic death highlights the systemic abuse faced by individuals with mental illness. This is not just a failure of policy but a profound human rights violation.

Despite claims of deinstitutionalization, mental health care has been neglected, with no funding for preventative support. Vulnerable people are funnelled into emergency departments and prisons instead of receiving the care they deserve. State and federal governments are fully aware of the unmet needs, yet neglect, abuse, and illegal restrictive practices persist. People with psychosocial disabilities have rights, and it is imperative that these rights are upheld and realized without delay," said Francis O’Neill, CMHA’s Strategic Partnerships Manager.

“Restrictive practices harm and kill people with disability—they are inexcusable in any setting. Australia must take urgent steps to ensure these violations are not just monitored but eradicated entirely," said PWDA President Trinity Ford.

"Restrictive practices, including the withholding of basic human needs like water, are government-regulated violence. They harm and kill people with disability, as Simon Cartwright’s tragic case so painfully demonstrates. This is not a matter of neglect; it is systemic abuse that must end now.

"We owe it to Simon Cartwright and countless others to reform systems that fail people with psychosocial disabilities. Every disabled person deserves respect, dignity, and support, not violence and neglect disguised as care," said PWDA Deputy CEO Megan Spindler-Smith.

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