Contemporary Issues in the Management of Law and Order in South Australia Pitjantjatjara Community (From Aborigines and Criminal Justice, P 350-362, 1984, Bruce Swanton, ed. - See NCJ-95993)

• NCJ Number: 96006
• Author(s): C Hope
• Date Published: 1984
• Length: 14 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

This discussion of problems of law and order among the Pitjantjatjara of South Australia's North-West considers juvenile behavior and offenses, alcohol consumption, the local management of offenders, and ways to improve social control.

Abstract

Petrol sniffing for juveniles and drinking for adults are the two principal offenses identified by the Pitjantjatjaras, but they are difficult to address under South Australian law. The Pitjantjatjara want more social control power at the local level through the creation of the position of warden, yet over the past 15 years, warden systems have been tried and found lacking. The Pitjantjatjara are determined to keep their customary methods for dealing with disputes, but concede that 'serious' offenses should be handled by the conventional South Australian legal system. While the Pitjanjatjara have negotiated the funds and the autonomy to devise their own solutions and are finding them, problems continue. For instance, the Pitjantjatjara repeatedly disclaim their own capacity to handle the profoundly difficult cultural problems associated with social control and have sought third party backing to enforce decisions requiring coercion. The most effective approach may be for the Pitjantjatjara Council to negotiate funds equal to that being spent on the maintenance of law and order, with a view toward purchasing the appropriate assistance. A total of 24 references are listed.