MEDIA RELEASE
May 2, 2023
Smarter Justice for Safer Communities welcomes the release of a new report highlighting a compelling case for increased investment in alternatives to prison that have been found to dramatically reduce crime and reoffending.
The report, released by the Justice Reform Initiative on Tuesday, calls on the NT Government, in partnership with the Federal Government, to establish a $300 million Breaking the Cycle Fund to boost community-led organisations and projects that are successfully breaking the cycle of incarceration.
Smarter Justice for Safer Communities spokesperson Olga Havnen, who is also co-chair of Northern Territory Aboriginal Justice Committee governance committee and on the board of the Justice Reform Initiative, said the report presented a “compelling case for getting smarter when it comes to tackling crime in the Territory”.
“As this new report emphasises, there is growing, strong evidence behind alternatives to locking people up, including early intervention and prevention programs, bail support programs, as well as post-release and diversionary community-led programs that show dramatic decreases in recidivism,” Ms Havnen said.
“Territorians are understandably looking for answers to the crime that is occurring in our communities, and it is clear that locking people up has not achieved anything other than a nation-leading incarceration rate.
“The answer is right in front of us, and it involves backing these smart strategies that actually work to reduce offending and make our communities safer.”
According to the report:
- Early intervention and prevention programs have been shown to reduce crime at a population level between 5% and 31% and reduce offending among at-risk populations by 50%.
- Bail support programs can slash reoffending (by 33%) and increase compliance with bail conditions (by 95%).
- Post release and diversionary community-led programs have shown dramatic decreases in recidivism, including support programs focusing on drug and alcohol dependency which reduced days in custody (65.8%), new custody episodes (62.6%), and proven offences (62.1%) within two years.
- First Nations place-based approaches have seen significant reductions in crime, criminal justice system and youth justice contact and significant cost-savings.
“Fortunately, we don’t have to look far to find examples of smarter initiatives here in the Northern Territory that work, such as the community-led youth justice initiative on Groote Eylandt, which has cut offending by 95 per cent, and the Alternatives to Custody program in Alice Springs that is achieving success in supporting vulnerable women to break the cycle of offending,” Ms Havnen said.
“Our own research has found that Territorians are ready for a new and better approach, with 70 per cent in support of tackling the underlying causes of crime over more prison sentences and more police.
“We encourage all Territorians to engage with the evidence and join us in calling for smarter approaches that work.”
Read the highlights from the Justice Reform Initiative report here.
To find out more about Smarter Justice for Safer Communities click here.
Media inquiries: Rebecca 0411 790 304
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