The Maranguka Youth Support Model today received a gold award in the community-led category of the 2023 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards (ACVPAs).
The ACVPAs recognise best practice in the prevention or reduction of violence and other types of crime in Australia and play a vital role in highlighting effective community-based initiatives to prevent crime and violence before it occurs.
Maranguka, in partnership with Just Reinvest New South Wales (NSW) and guided by the Bourke Tribal Council, was Australia’s first operational justice reinvestment program, modelling First Nations led self-determination, cultural governance and cross-sector commitment to reducing crime and violence and improving outcomes for the community of Bourke, NSW.
Maranguka’s Youth Support Model is a successful community and cross-sector collaboration, taking a holistic, strengths-based approach to keeping young people safe, out of trouble and on positive pathways, while maintaining a connection to community and culture.
“One of the keys to success of the program is the strong community collaboration, including the Police and Police Citizens Youth Centre and volunteers. This award is a great opportunity for other First Nations communities to see how Justice Reinvestment can drive change, as well as for policy and decision makers to recognise the value of community-led approaches to prevent crime and violence,” said Chief Executive Officer Alistair Ferguson.
“This collabrative initiative has not only significantly reduced youth crime and the associated response costs but improved the outcomes for all participants. The increased education programs and school completion rates are outstanding,” said Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) Deputy Director Dr Rick Brown.
These annual awards recognise the outstanding contributions being made across Australia for crime prevention, including the development and implementation of practical projects to reduce violence and other types of crime in the community.
The awards are a joint initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments and are delivered by the AIC. All projects are assessed each year by the ACVPA Board, which consists of senior law enforcement representatives from each state and territory police service, and is chaired by the AIC Director.
F
