Speaking about community safety and the safety of First Nations people who are incarcerated, the re-appointed Minister for Indigenous Affairs says that we have come along way since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
The re-appointed Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion spoke to Living Black Radio in the week leading up to the Federal Election 2016.
In this interview Minister Scullion gives his responses to questions asked about the rising crisis of incarceration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Both the Federal Opposition ALP and the Australian Greens Party have set Justice Targets in their policy for Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people and have made a commitment to work on Justice Re-investment and restorative justice approaches by reducing punitive approaches that are about punishment and don't heal the causes or treat people who offend and re-offend. Most people who do crime have unresolved issues that can stem from a life of family violence and abuse including institutionalised abuse by the hands of the state and church.
Minister Scullion says he knew who the Change The Record Coalition were and was aware of the Blueprint For Change Report. He says it's up to the State Governments within all jurisdictions to work with Change The Record Coalition to fund diversionary programs that assist in reducing the rates of incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, women and children.
Justice Reinvestment offers culturally safe programs that open up diversionary communities, focusing on rehabilitation from abuse and other violence that can lead to crime and at risk behaviours.
The mentored become mentors through treating community members with support to work on their issues. This includes support and access to wrap around services and programs introducing adults and children caught up in the criminal justice system to housing and medical options, employment and education.
The conversations have been made over and over again and elders and other community members have done the hard work and are tired of having to repeat themselves when calling for the record to be changed, we have gone past a time of sitting down and having a cup of tea and talking about deaths in custody, institutionalisation and systemic issues that are reported from operational procedures of the Department of Corrective Services.
