Partnership: A Best Practice Intervention in Corrections for Indigenous People

• NCJ Number: 194162
• Author(s): Lorraine Robinson; Anne Slee
• Date Published: October 2001
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: This paper was presented at the Best Practice Interventions in Corrections for Indigenous People Conference held in October 2001; see NCJ-194157-161 for supporting papers. Downloaded 02/05/2002

Annotation

This paper presents evidence on how the Australian Queensland Government has made significant and positive changes over the last 10 years in its past relationship with Indigenous people, in the youth justice system’s failure to address overrepresentation of Indigenous youth, and its development of partnerships between Indigenous people and governments to develop solutions addressing overrepresentation.

Abstract

This paper highlights some of the key developments in youth justice over the last 10 years in Australia’s Queensland leading to best practice in working with Indigenous youth. The overrepresentation of Indigenous youth, as well as Indigenous people in general, has continued to be a significant concern. The last 10 years have seen positive indications that the Queensland Government has progressed in its relationship with Indigenous people. The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC), the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families in 1997, and the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institution in 1999 documented the extent of past injustices and complexities. The paper provides a brief overview of the significant changes occurring in youth justice in Queensland with specific emphasis on the impact and influence of the RCIADIC and Forde Inquiries. These changes include: (1) implementation of significant changes to the administration of Youth Justice; (2) crime prevention strategies; (3) youth justice services; (4) youth detention operations; (5) review of the Juvenile Justice Act 1992; (6) employment strategy; and (7) local justice initiatives program. In addition, a 10 year partnership framework was developed between the Queensland government and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Board (ATSIAB) to address underlying issues such as education, health, justice, housing, economic, reconciliation, land, and service delivery issues for Indigenous people. Due to these significant changes, statistics showed that the level of over-representation at the highest end of the system (detention) had decreased over the last 6 years. References