Justen would like to talk about giving evidence to the Disability Royal Commission about his experiences in the justice system and all the factors that led to it. Justen spoke to the Commission about his experiences both as a young person in juvenile detention centres and an adult in NSW prisons. He spoke about the distinct challenges of experiencing homelessness and how this led to extended imprisonment. Justen also wishes to speak about the hope he has for the future and the specific recommendations he asked the commission to make to move towards a more just system, especially for First Nations peoples. He shared with the commission the different areas of advocacy work he’s been involved in and will be speaking about how he sees this work continuing, and what are the next steps now that the Disability Royal Commission has finished.
Presenters
Justen Thomas is a proud Darug man who advocates for people with intellectual disability who come into contact with the justice system. Justen currently works at Council for Intellectual Disability and has also run and designed workshops with Intellectual Disability Rights Service. Justen uses his lived experience within the justice system to inform, educate and advocate for a better future.
