The gap

A snapshot of prison data for 2006 shows that approximately 82% of the Territory prison population is Indigenous and 96% of juveniles held in detention are Indigenous. In the Northern Territory in 2005, Indigenous people were four times more likely than non-Indigenous people to be a victim of assault.

The approach

Personal and community safety are critical concerns for Territorians. To achieve a safe living, working and family environment for Territorians, we need to strengthen the child protection system, tackle the causes of crime and violence (such as alcohol abuse and social dislocation), boost frontline community policing, implement youth development programs and develop local solutions to crime and family violence.

Over the next 5 years, the Northern Territory Government will:

Police

• Expand policing in remote communities via the Remote Area Policing Strategy, including recruiting 16 additional police, at a cost of $11.2m.

Community Justice

• Establish 10 Community Courts to provide for community participation in sentencing, rehabilitation and reintegration, at a cost of $2.1m
• Recruit 10 additional Corrections Officers to provide support for prisoners on parole in remote communities, at a cost of $4.62m
• Develop an Indigenous Family Violence Offender Program to provide effective intervention in family violence, at a cost of $5.24m
  The program will be:
  • delivered by local Indigenous facilitators who are seen by their community as suitable and respected people
  • involve family violence offenders and victims participating in alternative court sentencing options, other than imprisonment.
• Establish a Witness Assistance Service in Katherine, at a cost of $0.9m
• Develop legislation to reform the committal system (and thus reduce the involvement of victims of crime in the criminal law system)
• Further reform of the laws of evidence by possible adoption of the national uniform Evidence Bill
• Introduce legislation amending the Bail Act so as protect witnesses and reverse the onus in favour of bail concerning alleged sex and domestic violence offenders.

Family Violence

• Develop integrated community based family violence programs, at a cost of $7.9m
  These programs will:
  • help prevent family violence and provide support for victims of family violence
  • work with families to identify and address factors leading to violence
  • work with perpetrators of violence and victims/survivors in order to break the cycle
  • work with at risk families
  • support carers of children separated from their families due to neglect or abuse
  • support the reintegration of families where safe to do so
  • support children traumatised by violence
  • make referrals to specialist services as required.
• Introduction of new domestic violence legislation into Legislative Assembly Sittings in late 2007 to improve the effectiveness of restraining orders, including their effectiveness in remote communities.

Offender Rehabilitation

• Expand rehabilitation programs for sexual offenders to break the cycle of re-offending, at a cost of $4.44m.
  This will include:
  • prison based rehabilitation for sex offenders
  • programs for offenders who are also sexual assault victims.
• Expand the Elders Visiting Program from four to 12 communities, at a cost of $0.96m.

Gambling and Pornography

• Implement a pornography and gambling education program, at a cost of $1.25m.
  This will communicate:
  • the meaning of classifications for film and television
  • the negative impact of pornography
  • the negative impact of gambling, including the risks to children and families.

Juvenile Diversion

• Continue the Juvenile Diversion Program to keep juveniles out of the criminal justice system, at no additional cost.

Safety – Police, Justice and Family Violence (PDF document, 840 kilobytes)