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African/Australian community and the criminal justice system:

African/Australian community and the criminal justice system:. Peter Norden, A.O. Convenor Victorian Criminal Justice Coalition. Correlates with criminal behaviour:. Parenting skills Educational opportunities Job skills and employment training Income security Employment

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African/Australian community and the criminal justice system:

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  1. African/Australian community and the criminal justice system: Peter Norden, A.O. Convenor Victorian Criminal Justice Coalition

  2. Correlates with criminal behaviour: • Parenting skills • Educational opportunities • Job skills and employment training • Income security • Employment • Social networks/social cohesion • Mental health/substance misuse

  3. Recent studies of disadvantage:Tony Vinson:“Dropping off the edge” Correlation with criminal convictions: • 0.601 Low Job Skills • 0.535 Low Qualifications • 0.633 Disability pensioners • 0.544 Year 12 incomplete • 0.534 Low Income

  4. Correlates with imprisonment: • 0.466 Low job skills • 0.444 Low pre-school attendance • 0.411 Unemployment • 0.379 Year 12 incomplete • 0.506 Low taxable income • 0.527 Child mistreatment • 0.661 Public rental housing

  5. Cf. Indigenous Australians • Is their level of criminality a reflection of their indigenous identity and history? • Or a reflection of the level of entrenched social disadvantage and alienation?

  6. Entrenched Disadvantage: • Similar patterns of disadvantage, namely child neglect, early schooling leaving, poor job skills, low unemployment can be found in the most disadvantaged mainstream Australian communities.

  7. Specific cultural/ethnic contexts: • For African/Australian communities and their young people, there are specific cultural, ethnic, historical dimensions that compound the general social context. • So with earlier resettlement groups, such as Italians, Eastern Europeans, South East Asians, Middle Easterners.

  8. Points of positive intervention: • Broad definition of the problem • Prevention better than cure • Early intervention rather than later • Broad based programs essential • Avoid stand alone criminal justice intervs • Avoid short term projects: boomerangs • Serious engagement with leaders

  9. Challenges to crim. justice system: • Must collaborate with other departments • Must seriously consult local community • Diversion more likely to succeed • Recruit diversity in culture personnel • Broader training and inculturation • Models of alternative dispute resolution • Restorative justice models effective

  10. Secret to Successful Intervention: • Must be multi-pronged response • Integrated whole of govt. approach • Education/Health/Welfare/Recreation • Avoid criminal justice interventions • Development of local leadership • Key function of ethnic role models • Ongoing (not reactionary) engagement

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