Facing the Numbers

First Nations people in Australia are the most disproportionately incarcerated people in the world – making up 37% of the prison population while comprising only 3.8% of the total population.

There have been at least 636 First Nations deaths in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody – with only one conviction made.

Many Australians have heard these statistics, yet not many are familiar with the systemic issues that lead to them. And even fewer understand how these numbers translate into human stories and experiences. For example, how does police brutality affect someone’s life? How does racial profiling make someone feel?

Our solution:
Numbers don’t convince people. Stories do. Facing the Numbers will cut through apathy by putting Australians in the shoes of First Nations people who have been harmed by the legal system.

Facing the Numbers is a social impact campaign and documentary that confronts the profound and ongoing harms caused by Australia’s legal system, including institutional racism, racial profiling, police violence and deaths in custody.

Moving beyond statistics, the project centres the stories of First Nations people, inviting audiences to connect with the humanity behind the numbers and to understand how these systems operate in real lives and communities.

By deepening public understanding, Facing the Numbers seeks to shift attitudes and behaviours, strengthening support for existing First Nations–led advocacy and self-determined solutions. Through collective action and national attention, the campaign challenges institutions and the broader public to reckon with injustice within law enforcement and to take responsibility for urgent, systemic change.

The FTN impact campaign is designed to move Australians from apathy to active solidarity. Led by Common Ground, known for story-driven systems change, and guided by a First Nations Advisory Group with expertise across law, criminal justice, policy, community services, advocacy and communications, the campaign will mobilise targeted action to support meaningful change.

The campaign will launch with a coordinated media strategy alongside community screenings and events. A dedicated microsite will host the films alongside accessible, contextual information that deepens public understanding of the issues and people at the centre of each story. Each film will be paired with clear actions — at individual, institutional and systemic levels — designed to strengthen existing First Nations–led advocacy and solutions. Educational resources aligned to secondary school curriculum will support young people to critically engage with Australia’s legal system at a formative stage of their learning.

FTN is led by First Nations organisations Common Ground and GARUWA, in partnership with Arrernte and Kalkadoon cinematographer Tyson Perkins, and is shaped by people with lived experience of injustice and systemic racism.

The project is grounded in collaborative, community-led approaches to change. Guidance from a First Nations Advisory Group ensures community priorities, cultural safety and accountability are embedded throughout all stages of the work.

Over the past five years, the project’s directors have built deep, trusting relationships with the storytellers and their families, enabling participation that is respectful, trauma-aware and grounded in long-term connection rather than extractive engagement.

Facing the Numbers is further supported by strong partnerships with community-led and specialist organisations, including Dhadjowa Foundation, Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation, Institute for Collaborative Race Research, NAATSIHWP and Weenthunga Health Network.

To address the racism deeply embedded in Australia’s legal systems, each Facing the Numbers episode will be accompanied by multi-layered actions and conversation starters, that address the relevant issues highlighted in the storyteller’s experience and are designed to encourage engagement at several levels:

— Personal and immediate actions: e.g. signing a petition, accessing resources to learn more, donating to a community organisation or sharing content on social media.
— Institutional and intermediate: e.g. supporting existing advocacy work or hosting an event that drives collective action.
— Systemic and long-term/intergenerational work: e.g. lobbying for political and educational reform and systems change.

By pinpointing core issues at personal, institutional and systemic levels and providing viewers with tailored calls to action, Facing the Numbers will drive transformative change that addresses deeply-rooted inequalities in Australia’s legal system.