Diverting Indigenous offenders from the criminal justice system
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December 2013
Overview
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are vastly over-represented in the Australian juvenile and criminal justice systems, with a high cost through exposure to the harsh prison environment, marginalisation, and poor health and employment outcomes. Though contact with the justice system can be reduced through diversion programs, Indigenous Australians have shown low participation and completion rates of such programs.
This resource sheet reviews the evidence on the functioning and effectiveness of various diversionary programs to assess what works - and what doesn't - in helping divert people away from the justice system.
This report was produced for the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse was a Council of Australian Governments’ initiative jointly funded by all Australian Governments. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Family Studies was funded from 2009 to 2014 to deliver the Clearinghouse.
Diverting Indigenous offenders from the criminal justice system (PDF 763 KB)