NCJ Number
192204
Date Published
2001
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This report analyzes the problem of overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians within the Criminal Justice System in New South Wales province, and its policy implications.
Abstract
The author used the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey (NATSIS) to analyze factors associated with arrests of indigenous Australians who, in 1999, were ten-times more likely to be jailed than non-Indigenous people. High Indigenous arrest rates are explained by six basic factors: Sex, labor force status, alcohol consumption, whether an individual is physically or verbally victimized, age and education. Other factors include family environment and sufficiency and availability of police services. Alcohol and being a victim of violence are especially significant in assault cases, suggesting that a cycle of violence in the community is tied to alcohol abuse. The author notes that it is important to improve educational and employment opportunities for the Indigenous people since both reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior. He argues that much more is needed to be done to deal with substance abuse and the cycle of violence in Indigenous communities. Early intervention approaches and restrictions on the availability of alcohol were the best avenues for policy action. The NATSIS data should be re-addressed when the General Social Survey is carried out in 2002, so that a comparison can be made between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous population. Notes, references, tables, and appendix