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Second Children's Court gets tick of approval for Youth Koori Court trial
A program designed to break the cycle of crime for vulnerable young Indigenous Australians will be rolled out to a second location in Sydney.
Melissa Coade
The Surry Hills Children’s Court in Sydney will be the recipient of $2.7 million over three years to fund the expansion of the Youth Koori Court.
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This effective doubling of the Youth Koori Court's capacity, which has already been trailed in Parramatta, will provide more young offenders the opportunity to address behavioural issues. A statement issued by the NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman added that more participants would now be able to access tools to improve their lives.
“The overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in custody is a major problem that needs to be addressed,” Mr Speakerman said.
“This is why the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is investing in a program that targets the issues contributing to offending, before the behaviour becomes entrenched.”
The Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) in NSW and the ACT commended the decision, with CEO Lesley Turner thanking government for listening to Indigenous stakeholders. He said that the program was an example of a culturally appropriate initiative that worked.
“The trial at the Parramatta Children’s Court has shown that recidivism can be reduced, but only if the many, underlying social factors contributing to re-offending, are addressed,” Mr Turner said.
The Youth Koori Court has been operating in Parramatta since 2015, and operates once a week. To date, the Parramatta program has dealt with 92 offenders.
Eligible participants are young offenders aged between 10 to 17 years of age, and must have pleaded guilty or been found guilty of a criminal offence. Youth Koori Court participants have up to 12 months to complete the program and their performance is taken into account during the sentencing process.
Magistrate Sue Duncombe said the court has the same powers as a Children's Court, but is more informal and involves community Elders in its processes.
“We sit down with the young person and discuss the offence and develop a plan to keep them out of trouble, which might include finding stable accommodation, getting back into school or a job and addressing health, drug and alcohol issues,” Magistrate Duncombe said.
Last week treasurer Dominic Perrottet announced the funding, alongside Mr Speakerman, as part of the 2018–19 state budget.
“Getting young people who've taken the wrong path back on track has major benefits for Aboriginal communities and the state as a whole,” said Mr Perrottet.
“This is a budget that puts people first. We are only in a position to fund social programs because our finances are in order.”
Mr Turner said that the ALS wanted young Aboriginal people with their families and communities, not in detention.
“The Attorney-General has acknowledged that the over-representation of Aboriginal people in custody is a ‘major problem that needs to be addressed’. And that’s why it’s imperative that we have greater investment in programs like the Youth Koori Court,” Mr Turner said.
“If we support young people and tackle social issues, which can trigger re-offending, we then significantly reduce the risk of them engaging with the criminal justice system.”
