Coalition of Voices on Justice Open Letter
Over-incarceration in the Northern Territory causes significant harm to children, families and the whole community. It is also extremely expensive. Our current over reliance on prison fails to improve a sense of community safety and further entrenches disadvantage. The ongoing use of over incarceration as a policy response means we lose focus on investing that evidenced-based supports rehabilitation and healing which are vital for a healthy and thriving community.
As a coalition we believe there are three key areas to focus on to make a significant difference in the lives of Territorians.
1 Commit to fully implementing the Aboriginal Justice Agreement
- Reduce imprisonment of Aboriginal Territorians. we are encouraged to see progress towards community courts being re-established and the Woman’s Alternative to Custody facility in Alice Springs. However significantly more work needs to be undertaken in the domestic, family and sexual violence space to ensure further progress on this aim.
- Engage and support Aboriginal leadership. Establish mechanisms that embed genuine consultation and partnerships and Aboriginal voice and leaderships at all levels of government decision-making.
- Improve justice responses and services for Aboriginal Territorians. Significant work needs to be undertaken in relation to identifying and eliminating systematic racism across government agencies.
2 Reduce the number of young people in contact with out of home care, police and custody
- Address the social drivers of crime and antisocial behaviour, such as poverty, health, housing, education and domestic, family and sexual violence.
- Implement raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 in line with UN Recommendations. Fully implemented the Kids Safe, Family Together, Community Strong 10- Year Generational Strategy for Children and Families in the Northern Territory. (Generational strategy)
- Established a Youth Peak Body for the Northern Territory.
- Provide needs-based funding for prevention and crime reduction programs.
- Encourage strengthening of family supports and parental responsibility.
- Implement education strategy that generally engages with Aboriginal Leadership.
3 Programs not Prisons: A call for investment in community led safety approaches outside of the justice system
- There is a need or multidisciplinary approach that funds community led programs across the trajectory of interactions with the justice system from prevention through to post release support.
- There is the need for proportionate funding for a diverse suite of community led organisations and groups to deliver programs and support that are based on best-practise evidence-based principles in service delivery. This includes the provision of person-centred, long-term, relational, flexible, holistic, intensive, and outreach focused casework.
- Consult with local organisations to determine and meet resourcing needs required to build organisational capacity and effectiveness.
Signatories
Download Coalition of Voices on Justice Open Letter