Photo Credit: Tristan Stefan Edouard
WHAT IS A JUSTICE REINVESTMENT MECHANISM,
WHY DO WE NEED COMMUNITY-LED SOLUTIONS TO ABORIGINAL OVER IMPRISONMENT
AND WHY SHOULD GOVERNMENTS TAKE THIS APPROACH?
In the following series of short videos; Thomas Duncan, JR NSW’s Manager of Community-Led Change, describes how Aboriginal communities can influence justice outcomes and advocate for their own solutions. Ashlee Wone, JR NSW’s Director of Policy & Impact, examines why governments should use this approach in justice responses that consider the cost to Aboriginal communities, and fund more effective community-based solutions.
Video transcript:
Aboriginal communities have the solutions because they are experts in their own lives. Justice Reinvestment is about community getting power and control, listening to community-led voice and understanding data sovereignty. This will empower a structured and informed decision-making process that will impact on the community being understood in a way that's never happened before to help drive community-led change.
Video transcript:
What is a justice reinvestment mechanism and how could it work?
A reinvestment mechanism is a government financing mechanism that makes financial resources available to communities for justice reinvestment. This means governments may pay a levy to communities that is calculated based on the number of Aboriginal people incarcerated in New South Wales. The resources generated are then spent in areas where Aboriginal communities determine needs more support and on what will be felt by those most impacted.
Video transcript:
Governments would recognise the cost of incarceration to communities and be discouraged to expand the prison system and fund more effective community-based solutions.
The cost of doing business as usual in justice responses that result in high rates of incarceration will continue to exacerbate social drivers of offending such as homelessness and poor health. We know this can lead to a cycle that undermines and dismantles cohesion in our communities.
WHAT IS JUSTICE REINVESTMENT?
Justice reinvestment is a way of reducing Aboriginal incarceration, by implementing strategies that address the drivers into the criminal justice systems, led by the community and informed by data.
These strategies contribute to broader systemic reform in education, health, care and child protection.
THE REPORT
The Just Reinvest NSW (JRNSW) report, “Redefining Reinvestment – An opportunity for Aboriginal communities and government to co-design justice reinvestment (JR) in NSW” is a landmark report based on research with Aboriginal communities in Bourke, Moree and Mt Druitt.
It conveys their experiences of the criminal justice system and captures their perspectives on ‘reinvestment’ in NSW. The Report invites government to commence a process of co-design, led by those Aboriginal communities where local solutions are already being explored.
ABOUT JR NSW
Just Reinvest NSW supports Aboriginal communities to explore and establish justice reinvestment initiatives and advocates for systemic changes that build safer and stronger communities.
Our goal is to reduce Aboriginal incarceration in NSW. We work alongside Aboriginal communities to support place-based, community-led and data driven approaches to inform local solutions, such as devising local ‘justice circuit-breakers’.
WORK WITH US
Download role description for currently available position.
MOUNTY
YARNS
Mounty Yarns is a youth-led project that gathers the stories, expertise, and knowledge by and with Aboriginal young people with lived experience of the criminal justice system and the impact it has on them and their families.
These stories have been captured in a short film, in a written resource and through music produced by young people.
STRATEGIC PLAN
2020-2024
Building on positive results to date, we’re looking to support Aboriginal community led-justice reinvestment initiatives and advocate for related systemic policy and legislative improvements.
MEDIA RELEASE
16 Feb. 23
Statement on community protest re youth crime in Moree.
Just Reinvest NSW is aware of a community gathering at the Moree Courthouse today, convened with the purpose of demanding “harsher penalties for young offenders” and “for their parents to be made responsible”.
Creating a safer community for all is surely our common goal but harsher laws applied to young people and their families will not achieve this purpose.
THE REINVESTMENT FORUM
On the 3 November 2022, JRNSW hosted the inaugural Reinvestment Forum, which brought together Aboriginal communities, policymakers, philanthropy, and academia to share their visions on how reinvestment can work, and to develop a plan for co-design.
FOR MEDIA
ENQUIRIES
Please contact James Nichols,
Communications Manager:
james@justreinvest.org.au
FOR GOVERNMENT
ENQUIRIES
Please contact Ashlee Wone,
Director Policy & Impact:
ashlee@justreinvest.org.au
FOR COMMUNITY
ENQUIRIES
Please contact Ashlee Wone,
Community Engagement & Partnerships:
ashlee@justreinvest.org.au
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we walk, work & live._
