Evaluation of the Community Justice Group Program. Final report.

Source: (2010) Brisbane: Department of Justice and Attorney General.

There are a number of reasons why Indigenous people are over-represented within the
criminal justice system. These range from offending patterns, impact of policing and
law, cultural differences and understanding of what constitutes a crime, geographical
and environmental factors, socio-economic factors, marginalisation and the impact of
specific colonial policies.
Indigenous justice initiatives contribute to efforts to reduce recidivism and re-offending
behaviour. While there are no conclusive studies that indicate the positive effect of
Indigenous justice initiatives on reducing the rate of recidivism, there have been
observations made by justice stakeholders that, in their experience, Indigenous justice
initiatives can have a positive impact on reducing recidivism.
Key principles underpinning like programs include the promotion of community
responsibility and the recognition of Indigenous values within the western justice
system. While the program design, funding levels and activities of like initiatives may
vary, most play a role in supporting Indigenous offenders when they are already in the
criminal justice system. (excerpt)