Victorian prisons may be suggested as a reason
for not investing in pre-sentence diversion, and
post-release options for this cohort. It might seem
that the economies of scale are not high enough to
fund the actions and programs inside and outside
prison that would make a difference.
Victoria are a good reason to invest in communities
to minimise contact with the criminal justice system
and to urgently invest in programs that work
for those already in the system. Evaluations of
previous Aboriginal Justice Agreements have also
shown that when resources are effectively targeted
and there is a clear focus on culturally sound
interventions that reduction in over-representation
will follow.
and culturally appropriate residential options for
Koori men to support completion of Community
Corrections Orders also enjoy strong success rates.
women would be in prison, such investment
would be relatively modest for a significant
community gain. Compared to imprisonment
and potential institutional costs of Koori women
going through the system of over $1 million per
prisoner, programs to address the underlying
causes of offending such as drug and alcohol
abuse, mental health disability, family violence and
intergenerational trauma cost significantly less.
"The AJA2 evaluation indicated that where there
has been a clear focus and investment of resources
there has been a reduction in over-representation of
Koories in prison". State of Victoria, Department of
Justice, `AJA3', above n 15, 19.
Based on NSW data for a female Aboriginal offender
in NSW with a history of homelessness, drug and
alcohol misuse, family violence and mental illness
to be in the order of $1,118,126. Eileen Baldry et al,
`Costs of Homelessness', above n 17, 48.
opportunity to work with them to address their
offending and turn their lives around. Indeed,
as the numbers of women are relatively small
compared to the total prison population, targeting
efforts on this cohort makes sense. We know who
they are, we know where they are and we know
what is needed from years of research and policy
discussion.
cycle of offending, and support compliance with
bail, Community Corrections Orders and parole
conditions, including housing and casework
support are much cheaper than prison.
in the future. We already know that the number of
Koori women at risk of entering the corrections
system in Victoria is likely to grow due to
demographic pressures. In Victoria, the Koori
population is growing rapidly, and has a very high
proportion of children and young people. Children
make up almost half of Victoria's Koori population
(43.5 per cent), almost double the proportion of
children in the total population (23.6 per cent).
"turn off the tap" to prison by investing in improved
educational outcomes, and in turn employment
opportunities for young Koori people.
supporting families to stay healthy and strong
through early intervention and prevention. In the
absence of a significant improvement on these
systemic issues, the pipeline of Koori women
in contact with the criminal justice system will
continue to grow.
State of Victoria, Department of Premier and Cabinet,
`Report of the Protecting Children Inquiry', above n
211, 288.
Aboriginal students in Victoria generally have lower
rates of literacy and numeracy, school attendance and
school retention than non-Aboriginal students. Victorian
Auditor-General's Office (2011) cited in Ibid 291.