The NSW Aboriginal Justice Plan was launched by Mr Lennie Frail, the Chairperson of the Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council (AJAC) and the Hon Bob Debus MP, Attorney General at Government House recently.

The Justice Plan, developed by the Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council (AJAC), is a unique partnership between the NSW Government and the Aboriginal people of NSW that will see a substantial inroad into addressing the underlying causes of crime in Aboriginal communities across the State.

In NSW, Aboriginal communities in partnership with the State Government are striving to change the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system. While Aboriginal people make up 2 per cent of the total population in NSW, they are over represented in the State’s criminal justice system. Aboriginal people constitute approximately 19 per cent of adult male prisoners and one in every three women in prison is Aboriginal. Aboriginal young people are also over-represented, comprising between 39 per cent and 47 per cent of all juveniles in detention in NSW.

The Aboriginal Justice Plan recognises that crime and Aboriginal incarceration should not be seen in isolation. The existing unequal status in health, housing, education, employment, income and justice, means that criminal justice agencies cannot overcome these social disadvantages. The participation of other government departments and Aboriginal communities is critical to addressing the unacceptable high rate of contact which Aboriginal people have with the criminal justice system.

Aboriginal Justic Plan (PDF 447KB)