The brother of an Aboriginal man who died in custody has remembered his twin as a kind and generous person who had a big heart.
Clinton Austin, a 38-year-old Gunditjmara and Wiradjuri man, died at Loddon Prison in Victoria on September 11, 2022.
Mr Austin's brother Shaun delivered an emotional statement outside the Coroners Court of Victoria on Monday, saying he hopes the coronial inquest will bring about change in the justice system.
"Clinton was not just my twin brother - he was also my best friend, mentor and teacher who taught me so much about our culture," he said.
"He was a devoted father who was working hard to be united with his son and it breaks my heart that this reunion will never happen.
"Clinton was a kind and generous person who had a big heart."
Clinton wanted to share his passion for art with others and had a dream of becoming an art teacher, Shaun said.
"He mentored other prisoners to help them with their art.
"He had his heart set on turning his life around and doing the right thing - I know he would have gotten there if this opportunity was not tragically taken from him.
"There was a lot Clinton was looking forward to in his life - this is the hardest part for me to accept."
Mr Austin had already served his two-year non-parole period in prison when he died, he was the second Indigenous person to die in custody in Victoria within the space of a month.
Shaun said their family had many questions about what happened in the lead up to Clinton's death.
Almost 600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in police or prison custody since the Royal Commission into Indigenous Deaths in Custody handed down 339 recommendations in 1991.
Many of these recommendations have not been fully implemented.
Shortly after Mr Austin's death, the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, which is helping the family in the coronial process raised concerns about the quality of healthcare provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in prisons in the state.
On Monday, flanked by family and supporters wearing shirts featuring a photo of Mr Austin, Shaun Austin said he hoped his brother's inquest would lead to "meaningful and significant change".
"I believe that my brother deserved better from the justice system and it failed him," he said.
"I will not stop fighting for you.
"I will fight to make a change, any change possible, not only for Aboriginal people going through the justice system, but anyone who has to go through it.
"I know that's what Clinton would want."
The inquest is scheduled to hear evidence for three weeks.
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