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Backing Bourke: An outback town’s bold experiment to save its young people from a life of crime.
Reported by Geoff Thompson and presented by Sarah Ferguson, Four Corners
A year after first trial site for Justice Reinvestment in Australia was established in Bourke, Four Corners went to gain insight from those leading the project. The Bourke Justice Reinvestment work was established in partnership between the Bourke community, Just Reinvest NSW and the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT, an initiative now known as Maranguka which means ‘caring for others’ in Ngemba language. Bourke was seen as a lighthouse for Justice Reinvestment.
Media articles
2022
Landmark investment into alcohol and other drug services as part of the response to the Ice Inquiry
NSW Government (Sep 2022)
This article discusses the NSW Government half-a-billion dollar investment to deliver targeted health and justice reforms as part of its final response to the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug Ice, including investment in Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via NSW Government
Australia: It’s Time To Fund Justice That Works
Amnesty International Australia (2022)
This article includes a petition that calls for government to investinto Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via Amnesty International Australia
$20m funding boost for Indigenous justice services unveiled
Jess Feyder, Lawyers Weekly (July 2022)
This article discusses the NSW Government’s commitment to expanding Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via Lawyers Weekly
The Overrepresentation Problem: First Nations Kids Are 26 Times More Likely To Be Incarcerated Than Their Classmates
Amnesty International Australia (Sep 2022)
This article explores how raising the age of criminal responsibility can work alongside justice reinvestment to deliver better justice outcomes for First Nations youth.
(open access) via Amnesty International Australia
Australia’s incarceration epidemic is not inevitable
Russell Marks, The Monthly (Sep 2022)
This article explores alternatives to Australia’s growing incarceration including adoption of Justice Reinvestment approaches.
(pay-walled) via The Monthly
Garlett robbery case proves WA urgently needs human rights overhaul
National Indigenous Times (Sep 2022)
This article explores current issues facing WA’s justice system and calls for the adoption of a more human-centric approach to justice including initiatives such as Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via National Indigenous Times
Calls grow for urgent youth justice reform in WA amid govt push to move children into adult prison
Giovanni Torre, National Indigenous Times (Sep 2022)
This article discusses the calls by more than 75 community organisations for reforms to the WA youth justice system, including adoption for Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via National Indigenous Times
2021
Context
The Australian Labor Party commits to expanding Justice Reinvestment. On 5 August 2021, the Australian Government also released justice targets as part of its first Closing the Gap Implementation Plan.
Labor pledges $90m to reduce Indigenous incarceration and deaths in custody
Lorena Allam and Calla Wahlquist, The Guardian (Apr 2021)
This article discusses the Australian Labor Party’s commitment to expanding Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via The Guardian
Justice scheme gets more proactive
Hannah Cross, National Indigenous Times (Mar 2021)
This articles discusses WA Labor Party’s commitment to Justice Reinvestment in Halls Creek known as Olabud Doogethu.
(open access) via National Indigenous Times
‘Indigenous deaths in custody deserves multifaceted response’
Rachael Knowles, National Indigenous Times (Apr2021)
This article explores Justice Reinvestment as part of a multifaceted response to First Nations deaths in custody.
(open access) via National Indigenous Times
Governments must prioritise raising the age
Australian Human Rights Commission (Apr 2021)
This article highlights how Justice Reinvestment forms part of the suite of alternatives to incarceration.
(open access) via Australian Human Rights Commission
2020
Context
Internationally the Black Lives Matter protests began to rise. In the US this led to calls to defund the police, with the conversation in the Australian conversation centring instead on the need for community-led Justice Reinvestment. More positive outcomes were shown for communities adopting a Justice Reinvestment approach, including Halls Creek.
Justice reinvestment program reduces youth offence rates in Halls Creek Shire
Hannah Cross, National Indigenous Times (Mar 2020)
This article provides insight into the positive outcomes in Halls Creek’s Justice Reinvestment approach.
(open access) via National Indigenous Times
Defunding the police could bring positive change in Australia. These communities are showing the way
Chris Cuneen, The Conversation (Jun 2020)
This article discusses the Black Lives Matter protest campaign to defund the police as a call to adopt community-led Justice Reinvestment approaches.
(open access) via The Conversation
Queensland Opposition says youth crime out of control and vows to get tough on offenders
Stephanie Zillman, ABC News (Jul 2020)
This article discusses the Liberal National Party’s proposal to expand Justice Reinvestment in Cairns and Townsville.
(open access) via ABC News
To achieve racial justice, we must self-determine meaningfully
Jarrod Hughes, Indigenous X (Aug 2020)
This article discusses the critical role of self-determination and applying principles to practice when implementing Justice Reinvestment and other justice approaches.
(open access) via Indigenous X
2019
Context
The Australian Labor Party includes Justice Reinvestment as part of its justice policy platform and work to explore and advocate for Justice Reinvestment continues to grow.
Save the Children welcomes Labor funding commitment to address indigenous overrepresenation in justice system
Evan Schuurman, Save the Children (Apr 2019)
This article shows support for the Australian Labor Party’s proposed justice package which includes Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via Save The Children
Australian governments should follow the ACT’s lead in building communities, not prisons
Lorana Bartels, The Conversation (Feb 2019)
This article provides examples of Justice Reinvestment calls to action and recommendations to advocate for its implementation.
(open access) via The Conversation
Just Reinvest holistic community-led approach to justice reinvestment rewarded at Australian Human Rights Awards
Rachael Knowles, National Indigenous Times (Dec 2019)
This article celebrates the Just Reinvest NSW’s receipt of the Australian Human Rights Awards.
(open access) via National Indigenous Times
Canberra’s only jail is running out of cells, but the Government wants to ‘build communities not prisons’
Jordan Hayne and Niki Burnside, ABC News (Feb 2019)
This article explores the ACT’s proposal to adopt Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via ABC News
Commonwealth, states and territories must lift minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years, remove doli incapax
Anne Louise-Brown, Law Council of Australia (June 2019)
This article advocates to raise the age of criminal responsibility, calling for Justice Reinvestment as an alternative.
(open access) via Law Council of Australia
‘We can close the gap’: Labor announces $100 million to tackle Indigenous incarceration crisis
Fergus Hunter, Sydney Morning Herald (Apr 2019)
This article shows support for the Australian Labor Party’s proposed justice package which includes Justice Reinvestment.
(pay-walled) via Sydney Morning Herald
Huge cost of detaining young people in WA reinforces need to invest more diverting from justice system
Jess Brennan, Save the Children (Aug 2019)
This article advocates for Justice Reinvestment as an important shift in how Australia approaches youth justice.
(open access) via Save the Children
2018
Context
In 2018, the Australian Law Reform Commission’s tabled the Pathways to Justice. An Inquiry into the Incarceration Rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples calling for Justice Reinvestment. Further, KPMG tabled an impact assessment of Australia’s Bourke Justice Reinvestment trial site highlighting the impact and potential of adopting a Justice Reinvestment approaches across Australia. At this time, other communities including Moree, Mt Druitt and Halls Creek begun implementing their own approach to Justice Reinvestment. Many communities such as Cowra also began to partner with researches to explore whether Justice Reinvestment is right for them.
Aboriginal-led justice project saves rural town almost $3m
Lorena Allam, The Guardian (Nov 2018)
This article explores the findings of the KPMG Impact Assessment of Bourke’s Justice Reinvestment initiative Maranguka.
(open access) via The Guardian
Plea from 35 groups for action on Indigenous Australians in prison
Lorena Allam, The Guardian (Sep 2018)
This article discusses calls for an urgent response to the recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Pathways to Justice report which recommended Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via The Guardian
Justice Reinvestment Key to Reducing Indigenous Incarceration
Tom Calma, New Matilda (April 2018)
In this article, former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner calls on Government to implement the recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Pathways to Justice report, including the recommendation to implement Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via New Matilda
Unique community policing sees crime rates plunge in Bourke
Lorena Allam, The Guardian (Oct 2018)
This article explores the way Bourke’s police are working differently as part of Bourke’s Justice Reinvestment initiative Maranguka.
(open access) via The Guardian
2009 – 2017
Context
Australian interest in Justice Reinvestment began with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner’s 2009 Social Justice Report which specifically explored the potential for Justice Reinvestment in First Nations communities. Also in 2009, the Commonwealth Legal and Constitutional Affairs Reference Committee in its inquiry, Access to Justice, recommended a pilot of justice reinvestment strategies focusing on regional and remote First Nations communities. From there, interest in pursuing a Justice Reinvestment was increasingly growing in the public sector with many community members and advocates beginning to explore their ideas on what Australia’s approach to Justice Reinvestment should look like. You can learn more about this by visiting our Justice Reinvestment page.
The first trial site for Justice Reinvestment in Australia was also established in 2015 in partnership between the Bourke community, Just Reinvest NSW and the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT, an initiative now known as Maranguka which means ‘caring for others’ in Ngemba language. Bourke was seen as a lighthouse for Justice Reinvestment. In 2017, the Act Government also launched its commitment to trialling a Justice Reinvestment approach.
Labor promises ‘justice reinvestment’ to reduce number of Indigenous prisoners
Lenore Taylor, The Guardian (Nov 2015)
This article explores former Australian Labor Party leader Bill Shorten’s commitment to funding Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via The Guardian
Locking in Change
Patrick Dodson, Koori Mail (April 2016)
This article shares Senator Patrick Dodson’s views on how and why we need to reform the criminal justice system to better meet the needs of First Nations peoples.
(open access) via the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
Curing our Addiction to Prison
Lorana Bartels, The Age (April 2016)
This article compares Australia’s approach to criminal justice with international jurisdictions such as Canada and the US, calling for Australia’s adoption of Justice Reinvestment.
(open access) via The Age
Unlocking Indigenous Incarceration
Robert Milikin, Inside Story (July 2015)
This article explores the trial implementation of Justice Reinvestment by the Bourke community, an initiative now known as Maranguka.
(open access) via Inside Story
Justice reinvestment saves huge costs of law-and-order auctions
Sarah Hopkins, The Conversation (2014)
Prior to Justice Reinvestment’s first trial site in Bourke, this article makes the case for its potential to reshape our justice system.
(open access) via The Conversation
Justice Reinvestment to be trialled in the ACT to reduce Indigenous incarceration rate
Calla Wahlquist, The Guardian (April 2017)
This article introduces the ACT Government’s trial of Justice Reinvestment called Yarrabi Bamirr meaning ‘walk tall’ in the local Ngunnawal language.
(open access) via The Guardian
The small town trying to shift spending from punishment to prevention
Marie McInerney, The Guardian (February 2017)
This article provides insight into Cowra’s inovative approach to justice and calls upon government to fund their ambition for a Justice Reinvestment approach.
(open access) via The Guardian
Funding for communities, not prisons: the promise of justice reinvestment
Sarah Hopkins and Alistair Ferguson, The Guardian (February 2017)
This article advocates for the expansion of community-led Justice Reinvestment and inclusion of Justice Targets within Close the Gap.
(open access) via The Guardian
Getting Tough on Crime Needs a Softer Approach
Gino Vumbucca, Huffington Post (February 2016)
This article explores the harms and costs of the criminal justice system and calls for a more human-centric approach.
(open access) via Huffington Post
Justice Reinvestment Network Australia 