Critical incident review of a self-harm incident involving a use of force at the AMC published

The latest critical incident review by the ACT Custodial Inspector has been tabled in the Legislative Assembly.

This critical incident review examines the circumstances surrounding a serious self‑harm incident involving an Aboriginal woman at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) on 24 July 2025.

The review finds that the response to this incident posed significant risks to her immediate physical safety and her longer-term psychological wellbeing.  It identifies serious concerns regarding the use of force in response to self-harm, particularly the use of OC spray, as well as gaps in culturally safe and trauma-informed care and coordinated information sharing between agencies.

While no overtly racist or discriminatory conduct was identified, the review concludes that systemic racism and institutional factors—including custodial practices, decision-making processes, and unconscious bias—had a disproportionate impact on the detained person as an Aboriginal woman.

Read the full report here