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Aims and Rationale Cycling in and out of prison is recognised as extremely damaging and disempowering for the families of Aboriginal Australians and their communities. We examined the impact of incarceration and the return of former inmates to their communities on family members and how primary health care services might provide better support to Aboriginal families and communities. Methods A human rights-based framework was used as an interpretive lens to analyse findings from ten interviews with family members of Aboriginal former inmates. Three human rights principles were invoked: the accountability of duty bearers, participation of right holders, and equity and non-discrimination. Findings The impact on Aboriginal family members of supporting a relative in custody and post release is substantial. In the absence of adequate post-release discharge planning and communication between services, it was left to family members to identify the immediate needs of former inmates and also to establish their own links with community services, including primary health care. Family members have therefore acted as important brokers to accessing primary health care services. According to the human rights framework, both family members and inmates are right holders. However, unless an inmate is on parole, there is no single agency responsible for meeting the needs of the former inmates. Therefore, there is no official duty-bearer. Primary health care services may provide health care, information, emotional and instrumental support to former inmates and family members but the manner in which this occurs is largely reactive. Relevance to policy, research or practice needs There is a need to identify which organisations are the key duty bearers for former inmates and family members and how best to support them to ensure the rights holders can access their rights to health and wellbeing. Rather than a single organisation, the key to effective post-release support is a linked and collaborative service network model. Primary health care needs to link with appropriate other social and human services so that when families and former inmates seek support they are ready to activate the network as well as provide targeted health interventions as needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]