Crime and Indigenous Australians

• NCJ Number: 190951
• Author(s): Darcy Turgeon
• Date Published: June 2001
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Paper presented at the 4th National Outlook Symposium on Crime in Australia, "New Crimes or New Responses," held in Canberra, June 21-22, 2001; downloaded October 8, 2001.

Annotation

With attention to Queensland (Australia), this paper reviews the causes of the overrepresentation in prison of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and then cites and proposes ways to help end the cycle of behavior that brings indigenous people in contact with the criminal justice system.

Abstract

The overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system is directly related to the inherited and institutionalized powerlessness of dispossession over the past 200 years or so. This powerlessness is now exhibited through the high numbers of indigenous people in custody, who in many instances have little or no self-esteem, have symptoms of chronic alcohol and drug abuse, and have little hope of breaking the cycle of criminogenic behavior when they return from custody to their home communities. Until conditions change or are improved in home communities and the underlying issues are addressed, the overrepresentation of indigenous men, women, and youths in adult and juvenile facilities throughout Australia will continue. The responsibility of addressing the underlying issues and risk factors rests with government stakeholders and leaders and Elders in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Some of the needed work is already being done. Communities in Queensland have formed Elders groups, which visit correctional centers throughout the State to talk with offenders about their place in the community once they return from custody. The Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy has introduced the Local Justice Initiatives Program, which provides funding to local justice groups that meet regularly to address policies on offenders in their respective communities. Other important endeavors include diversionary centers in local communities and support groups for men and women perpetrators and victims of domestic violence. Of particular importance is the establishment of alcohol and drug treatment programs, both in prisons and in local communities. Alcohol and other drug abuse frequently contribute to the violent behavior that brings indigenous people into contact with the criminal justice system.