Innovations in Program Delivery for Indigenous Offenders

• NCJ Number: 194148
• Author(s): Helen Ringrose
• Date Published: October 2001
• Length: 10 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description; Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Paper presented at the Best Practice Interventions in Corrections for Indigenous People Conference, Sydney, Australia, October 8-9, 2001; downloaded February 5, 2002.

Annotation

This paper identifies the level of representation of Indigenous people in corrections in Queensland (Australia), discusses issues related to this representation, and describes current programs and initiatives that attempt to address these issues; possible areas for future development are also considered.

Abstract

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that 124,174 Indigenous people were living in Queensland as of June 30, 1999, 3.5 percent of Queensland's population. By comparison, 22 percent of the prisoners in Queensland were Indigenous offenders. In the 1990's, with the shift toward rehabilitation in corrections, offenders were required to participate in core programs that targeted their offending behavior. Attention was given to the development and implementation of programs that targeted Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander offenders. Departmental reviews of such programs have concluded that they require a partnership with offenders' home communities for the daily management of Indigenous offenders. This includes the involvement of Aboriginal Elders in rehabilitative services as well as other community representatives. The history of program development has unfolded in four major areas: rehabilitation programs, diversion programs, programs that involve Indigenous communities, and departmental strategies; these programs and strategies are summarized in this paper. In December 2000, the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Justice Agreement was signed as a partnership agreement between the Queensland Government and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Board, acting on behalf of the Aboriginal communities of Queensland. This agreement cites four major reasons for the over-representation of Indigenous people in the Queensland corrections system: limited health, education, and housing opportunities; lack of support for the individual; cultural differences; and communities lacking resources for the ownership of and responsibility for justice issues. This paper describes efforts under the Agreement to reduce the over-representation of Indigenous people in Queensland's justice system, with attention to corrections strategies, legislative reform, and court reform. 7 references