Justice Agencies' Indigenous Strategic Policies

Department of Justice and Attorney-General (DJAG)

DJAG Indigenous Justice Strategy 2007-2008

The DJAG Indigenous Justice Strategy 2007-2008 reports that DJAG's first Indigenous Justice Strategy was launched in May 2005.  Since the introduction of the first Strategy, DJAG has been working to ensure that programs and services are responsive to Indigenous needs.  Relevant achievements in this area in 2006/07 include the following:

  • more ATSI JPs (Magistrates Court) have been trained and now constitute court in 17 communities throughout Queensland.
  • CJGs were transferred by the then DATSIP to DJAG on 1 July 2006.
  • a review of the Murri Court was conducted; and
  • in May 2006, a two year Pilot Homeless Persons Court Diversion Program commenced targeting homeless people, including Indigenous people. Under the program the Department will work with Indigenous service providers to assist Indigenous people who appear before the Magistrates Courts charged with public space and other associated offences.

The Justice Strategy details current programs and future initiatives, based upon three goals: equity and fairness in the justice system, reform and (agency) capability.  For our purposes, the relevant aspects of the Justice Strategy are as follows:

Goal 1: Equity and Fairness in the Justice System

Current Initiatives

  • Court Circuits on remote communities (District and Magistrates Courts)
  • Murri Court operating in five communities
  • Training program for JPs, in consultation with stakeholders (such as QPS and CJGs) (175 JPs in 17 communities); and information sessions for community members about the role of JPs. 
  • Remote Witness Rooms and video conferencing facilities are being upgraded or installed, and CCTV facilities will be rolled out
  • Community Justice Centres provide a venue for CJGs and visiting members of the judiciary to hold meetings and conduct court sittings
  • Justice Agreement 

Future Initiatives

  • Implement recommendations of the review of the Murri Court
  • Conduct an evaluation of the Murri Court 2007-2009
  • Evaluate outcomes relating to JPs constituting Magistrates Courts and expand the program.  Consider recommendations of the Queensland Law Reform Commission's 2000 report: The Role of Justices of the Peace in Queensland
  • DJAG will review the service delivery model for CJGs, establish a State-wide CJG Reference Group and deliver training and other support to members of CJGs.

Annual Report 2006-2007

Highlights for this reporting period include the following:

  • Comprehensive training provided to CJGs (involving court procedures, submissions to the court and conflict resolution and mediation skills) in a number of locations.  The training was provided in community forums and provided an opportunity for networking for the first time since 2004. Three additional CJGs were also funded this year. 
  • The Remote Training Program for Indigenous JPs was expanded. This program provides training throughout remote ATSI communities to enable the convening of magistrates courts constituted by two or more JPs.  It is improving the accessibility of Queensland's justice system to remote communities, according to the Annual Report, and reducing waiting times for minor offences, including simple offences, bail applications, domestic violence applications, traffic matters and breaches of by- laws. Offences of truancy and alcohol-related matters are also being dealt with in most communities. The use of local dialects in court is also addressing the language difficulties experienced by many Indigenous offenders.

 A total of 192 people from 18 remote ATSI communities have now been  appointed as Justices of the Peace (Magistrates Court). 

  A review of the Murri Court was also completed, and further Murri Courts were established.   This review confirmed that the Murri Court is effective in  
providing practical access to justice for ATSI offenders and provides responsive  justice outcomes that focus on the rehabilitation and reintegration of Indigenous 
offenders into communities.  It recommended that an independent evaluation of the Court be conducted in tandem with improved data collection processes to determine conclusively whether the Court is meeting its goals.  This evaluation is being conducted by the AIC.

In terms of diversionary programs, in 2006-07 the Department continued its pilot of the Homeless Persons Court Diversion Program which began in the Brisbane Magistrates Court in May 2006; and implementation planning was finalised for the Queensland Indigenous Alcohol Diversion Program

 Mobile videoconferencing units began operating in remote areas, and remote area video-court facilities were installed at Doomadgee and Mornington Island. 

Future directions include the following;

  • continuing Indigenous justice initiatives, including increased support for CJGs,
  • establishing further Murri Courts, providing training to communities to establish courts convened by Indigenous JPs, and increasing support for communities through more frequent circuit courts in a number of communities;
  • monitoring and improvement of diversion programs such as the Queensland
  • Indigenous Alcohol Diversion Program pilots, and the Homeless Persons Court Diversion program;
  • support for a two year, independent formal evaluation of the Murri Courts, and
  • progressing the implementation of the finalised review of the Murri Court. 

Queensland Department of Corrective Services (QCS)

Annual Report 2002/03

In this reporting period, the Department improved the process for obtaining more accurate information about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity of offenders being inducted into custody, thus enabling better targeting of programs and resources. continued to appoint honorary Indigenous officers in remote communities and to utilise contracted Indigenous service providers.  It also promoted local delivery of departmental programs, including the Ending Offending Program and Substance Abuse Preventing and Managing Relapse Program, using Indigenous community members as co-facilitators.  It was hoped that it would, in future, develop a regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community engagement framework in central Queensland to facilitate a coordinated response to integrated offender management.  Further, the Department developed, revised and validated the Offender Risk Need Inventory (ORNI) to more effectively assess an offender's risk of re-offending and associated rehabilitation needs  and researched the use of ORNI with Indigenous offenders from remote communities and enhanced the revised version (ORNI-R) by including sections on cultural considerations.

It also continued development and delivery of programs and services such as Murri Meeting Places in Correctional Centres; the Ending Offending, Ending Family Violence and Indigenous Sex Offender Programs (See below); the Family Support Program; Elders visits and Murri Chaplain visits; the Cultural Interest Program; and the Sexual Health Program. CJGs under Meeting Challenges Making Choice were also supported by facilitating their involvement in developing community-owned solutions.

Annual Report 2005/2006

QCS worked with DJAG to develop a Crime and Violence Response Plan for Indigenous communities.  In terms of community supervision, QCS worked with the Indigenous Justice Group, ATSI legal services and others as part of a trial to improve case management opportunities for offenders on Palm Island.  Further, research was completed in relation to the needs of Indigenous offenders with problem gambling issues, and relevant rehabilitation programs were commenced, including on remote Indigenous communities.

Annual Report 2006/2007

There is some discussion of the contribution that the new Probation and Parole service is making to improve services to Indigenous communities, including as a result of establishing reporting centres and district offices, as indicated above.   An MOU was established with Relationships Australia for the development and implementation of an Indigenous men's program in south-east Queensland.

Annual Report 2007/08

In 2007/08, QCS Probation and Parole developed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy, which included establishing new and permanent Probation and Parole offices in a number of remote (Indigenous) communities, providing sentencing support for visiting Judges and Magistrates.  A permanent reporting office has also been established in Woorabinda.  Probation and Parole staff visit islands in the Cape York region, and continue to forge relationships with stakeholders (such as CJGs and the ATSI legal services).  During 2007-08, QCS commissioned an independent evaluation to seek feedback from external stakeholders, including CJGs and Judges and Magistrates to assess services provided under the ATSI Strategy, and there was an indication that the new Probation and Parole offices were improving services on Indigenous communities. (1)  The Ending Family Violence and Ending Offending programs for ATSI offenders are co-delivered by community members or elders, and 178 completions were recorded for this reporting period.  Two Indigenous-specific programs relating to drug and alcohol abuse were also delivered: Ending Offending Program and Indigenous Peer Education Program; as well as the Transitions Program (for female and Indigenous offenders), to ensure that relevant needs are met in considering plans for release.

Strategic Plan 2006-2010

The DCS Strategic Plan 2006-2010 refers to initiatives which specifically target Indigenous offenders:-
•  In terms of community supervision services, strategies for managing offenders in the community include expanding services in Lower Gulf and Torres Strait communities and employing additional staff in remote and regional areas to deliver programs designed to break the offending cycle. 
• In terms of minimising the risk of re-offending through targeted and coordinated intensive services, strategic projects include developing problem gambling services for Indigenous communities. 

QCS Strategic Plan 2008-2012

The most recent Strategic Plan refers to initiatives which specifically target Indigenous offenders:-
•  In terms of community supervision services, strategies ensuring that there is greater opportunity for Indigenous offenders to be supervised in their communities include enhancing Probation and Parole's presence in remote and regional areas and developing and maintaining partnerships with Indigenous communities to maximise the opportunity for offenders to reintegrate into their communities;
It is also noted the reduction in prisoner numbers has occurred as a result of the new Probation and Parole service and the ATSI Strategy (see below).

Footnotes