Minister for Indigenous Australians
The Australian Government has committed $2 million over two years to expand the holistic case management and support offered to young First Nations people in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.
The program will be delivered by the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (ALSWA) and will provide culturally appropriate, wrap-around services to young people navigating the criminal justice system.
The program aims to help young people comply with their bail conditions and court orders and provide support through case management, mentoring, advocacy and referrals.
It also supports young people to re-engage in education and participate in therapeutic programs with the aim of improving their wellbeing and future prospects.
ALSWA will draw on available data and work closely with the community to determine the sites that will have maximum impact in supporting young people at risk.
The project will complement the Western Australian government’s Kimberley Juvenile Justice Strategy, which includes a broader package of measures for First Nations youth wellbeing.
The Australian and Western Australian governments are committed to working together to reduce the over-representation of First Nations youth in the criminal justice system.
Quotes attributable to Minister Burney:
“ALSWA’s youth engagement program in the Kimberley region is showing positive early signs that it is helping young people to meet their conditions and is breaking the cycle of offending.
“We want to build on these successes with the expansion to more of the Kimberley region as well as the Pilbara region to keep more First Nations children and young people out of detention centres and the criminal justice system.
“With the right supports, that are culturally appropriate, young First Nations people can reach their full potential in education, employment and in the community.”
Quotes attributable to Senator Patrick Dodson
“Through my constant contact with the Aboriginal Legal Aid Service of Western Australia, I am crucially aware of the problems which beset First Nations youth in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions.
“ALSWA is well placed to manage the program which this welcome funding will deliver.”
