An investment of around $25 million over four years will deliver a multi-pronged initiative across agencies and support Aboriginal people in order to reduce incarceration rates.

The suite of measures will comprise:

• Yalakiana Tappa: Reducing Aboriginal Incarceration measures: Investing $11.2 million over four years for an Aboriginal community led initiatives including:
  • Community Support Program: A cultural reintegration, tenancy, and rehabilitation support program to assist incarcerated Aboriginal South Australians apply for bail, successfully comply with bail conditions, and address their treatment needs.
  • Accommodation and Support Program: A 12-week supported housing, tenancy, and rehabilitation program for Aboriginal people who do not have access to culturally safe accommodation.
  • Cultural Residential Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility: a 12- week residential therapeutic community program for Aboriginal people who need intensive drug and alcohol treatment to support successful compliance with bail conditions.
  • Aboriginal Justice Agreement: An investment of $737 000 over two years to develop and implement an Aboriginal Justice Agreement (AJA). An AJA is a formal undertaking between government and Aboriginal communities to develop and implement a collaborative approach to improve justice outcomes.
  • Port Augusta Community Corrections Centre: Investing $4.6 million over four years to secure and fitout a new Port Augusta Community Corrections Centre. The existing facility is not fit for purpose and has been severely damaged by storm events. The new facility will support access to culturally appropriate rehabilitation and reintegration spaces for Aboriginal offenders.
  • Work Ready Release Ready Plus: An investment of $6.3 million over four years to support an overall reduction in incarceration, through an extension of the Work Ready Release Ready (WRRR) Program by increasing access to the program for more participants. The program provides rehabilitation and reintegration support including workforce participation upon release from custody, and will be available at the Port Augusta Prison, Adelaide Women’s Prison, Adelaide Pre-release Centre, Cadel Training Centre, Mobilong Prison, Port Lincoln Prison and Mt Gambier Prison.
  • Child diversion program: An investment of $1 million over two years to continue the program which diverts Aboriginal children aged between 10-13 years who have been charged with a minor offence away from a custodial environment with appropriate supports. This program also provides short-term accommodation where no other suitable bail option has been identified. This allows the young person to be placed back with family/kin with wrap around case management services.
  • Youth Aboriginal Community Court – Adelaide: A two-year trial of a specialist court for Aboriginal children and young people, to be known as YACCA. Expenditure of up to $716,250 for a culturally-responsive program that aims to disrupt escalation points in a young person’s offending, address trauma and criminogenic needs, implement protective factors and divert young people from further offending.

In South Australia, Aboriginal people are 12 times more likely to be imprisoned than the general population and over 60 percent of Aboriginal prisoners are on remand. Young Aboriginal people are overrepresented in youth detention by a factor of 18.

WRRR participants are statistically less likely to reoffend and more likely to gain employment post-release, compared with non-participants.

The package responds directly to recommendations made by the Advisory Commission into the Incarceration Rates of Aboriginal Peoples in South Australia.

Advisory Commission members highlighted justice agreements as an important mechanism to support the work Government undertakes in partnership with Aboriginal communities to reduce incarceration rates and deliver improved outcomes in the justice system.