Source: (2004) Indigenous Law Bulletin. 5(29): 4. Downloaded 16 November 2005.
Circle Sentencing was introduced in Nowra, NSW as a pilot program in February 2002. While the law has been one of
the primary tools of dispossession and disadvantage for Aboriginal people, circle sentencing aims to empower
Aboriginal communities in the sentencing process, create more relevant and meaningful sentences, and strengthen local
community through the process. The recent government review of the Nowra circles (the Review) recognises that the
trial has been successful not only in breaking the cycle of offending, but has the potential to strengthen Aboriginal
communities so that the underlying causes of crime are addressed. (excerpt)
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