Australian Human Rights Commission Information for LOI – Australia, 29 August 2016 56. The report was completed and released immediately prior to the announcement of the recent election. While the report has been delivered to the government and publicly released, due to the intervening election, it has yet to be tabled in parliament. This is due to occur no later than early October. To date, there has not been a formal government response to the report. 57. Issues for consideration in the LOI: Information on the Australian Government response to the Willing to Work Inquiry recommendations concerning people with disabilities. 7.4 Prisoners and mental health Concluding Observation para; ICESCR Articles 12(1) & 12(2)(d) 58. In light of Australian Bureau of Statistics data,28 the Commission’s Equal Before the Law report29 concluded that people with disabilities have higher rates of interaction with the criminal justice system than other Australians. The Commission also noted with concern the high rate of disability among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and that they are overrepresented in Australian prisons. 59. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported30 that 38% of prison entrants reported they have ever been told by a doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist or nurse that they have a mental health disorder, and 46% of prison discharges reported that they have ever been told they have a health condition – mental health, including drug and alcohol abuse. Commission research has found that necessary supports and adjustments for people with disabilities were frequently not provided in the criminal justice system.31 60. Issues for consideration in the LOI: • Information about Government responses to issues affecting prisoners with a disability or mental health issue • Information on strategies to address the rate of people with a disability in the criminal justice system • Information about the availability of appropriate treatment and services for prisoners with mental health issues, including drug and alcohol abuse. 8 Women 8.1 Women and Work Concluding Observations paras 17 & 21; ICESCR Articles 3 & 10 61. There are a range of gender equality gaps in Australia that impact on women’s right to work, right to just favourable conditions of work and right to adequate standard of living for themselves and their family. 11