Executive Summary;
On Country, Yarning, and Other Cultural Programs form part of the ACT Government’s continuing ‘Building Communities Not Prisons’ (BCNP) initiative.
These pilot programs aim to deliver cost effective reductions in crime, victimisation and repeat offending while reducing incarceration of First Nations women and men to match non-Indigenous incarceration rates by 2030 at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC).
As imprisonment rates rise, the challenges for housing growing rates of detainees also increase. By building communities, not prisons, we can provide support for individuals to break the criminal justice cycle and help keep our community safe. That’s where our Justice Reinvestment program ‘Building Communities, Not Prisons’ (BCNP) comes in. It is about developing a smarter, more cost-effective approach to improving criminal justice outcomes by reducing crime and diverting offenders, and those at risk of becoming offenders, from the criminal justice system. BCNP will: prioritise reducing recidivism; enhance rehabilitation frameworks in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC); provide more supported housing options for people on bail and exiting detention; provide early support for people living with a mental illness or disability; provide more pathways for safe and sustainable bail; and, enhance community building capabilities.
The primary objective of these pilot programs is to reduce re-offending within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. They will be designed as an innovative intervention for people who are involved in, or at risk of being further involved in the justice system and are intended to provide for a healing journey that assists participants to live a law-abiding life. Programs will be targeted at adults and may serve as part of an appropriate custodial or community-based sentence for adult offenders.
These programs provide a positive pathway from prison aimed at breaking the cycle of recidivism and meet the needs of the social and economic potential of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have been or are currently incarcerated or are at risk of contact with the justice system. These programs will harness the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and community members by adopting a co-design approach to deliver solutions. Understanding the lived experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders is crucial when designing services and programs – a co-design process aims to address this.
To ensure we are as successful as possible with the On Country, Yarning, and Other Cultural Programs initiatives we will be looking to work alongside the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and key-community partners. This will be carried out through Community, and Stakeholder Engagement workshops.
Community Engagement with Local Community and Key-Community Partners
The engagement process aims to ensure the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community has direct input into the design and development of the On Country Camps, and Employment and Business Development Opportunities programs. These will include identifying participant involvement with each program, and how the Core Design Team can ensure appropriate local cultural practices are embedded into each program’s design to allow for successful participant engagement and participation.
The community engagement processes will be undertaken over two workshops.
- The Community Engagement Workshop is open to anyone who would like to participate from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander local community and will be open to all peoples.
- The Key Community Partners or Organisations Workshop will be open to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support agencies or organisations that provide services to the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The workshops will be held separately to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of any community members who may use or rely on any of these services that may be in attendance.
Key Community Partners and Organisations may include;
- ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Support Organisations
- United Ngunnawal Elders Council
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Co-Design Forum members
- Other collaboration partners
- ACT Courts, and
- ACT Policing, (Indigenous Liaison Officers).
Establishment of a Core Design Team;
Working together with JACS, a Core Design Team of local ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and key-community partners will design and development of the On Country, Yarning, and Other Cultural Programs.
It is envisaged that once established the Core Design Team will meet post the community engagement process to ensure the most culturally appropriate connections and information sharing are established.
Once the community engagement process has concluded, information-sharing and prioritisation can be shared with the Core-Design Team ready to progress through to the project’s design and development phase.
Core Design Team representatives will be voluntary, and invitations will be sent to:
- Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Members
- United Ngunnawal Elders Council
- ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body
- ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Co-design Network Members
- ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Organisations
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Justice Caucus Members
- ACT Government Representatives inclusive of Court representatives, and
- ACT Policing, (Indigenous Liaison Officers)
The workshops are scheduled as below and participants will be required to register for each workshop due to COVID-19 restrictions;
- Community Engagement Workshop – (open to all ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members)
Tuesday 23rd February 2021
10:00am - 12:00pm
RSVP: Cameron.moore@act.gov.au
If participants can arrive at the Yarramundi Cultural Centre at 9:45am for a 10:00am commencement
Catering provided by Ribana’s Catering
- Key Community Partners and Organisations Workshop – (open to all ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Key Partners and Organisation representatives)
Tuesday 9th March 2021
9:30am - 1:30pm
RSVP: Cameron.moore@act.gov.au
If participants can arrive at Yarramundi Cultural Centre at 9:15am for a 9:30am commencement
Catering provided by Ribana’s Catering
- Core Design Team Workshop
Tuesday 16th March 2021
9:30am - 1:30pm
RSVP: Cameron.moore@act.gov.au
If participants can arrive at Yarramundi Cultural Centre at 9:15am for a 9:30am commencement
Catering provided by Ribana’s Catering
Important
A Covid-19 Safety Plan will be in place for each workshop and entry will not be permitted to anyone who has visited a current hotspot as advised by ACT Health. Attendees are also advised about their obligation to stay home if unwell and in particular if they are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19. Attendees will also be required to sign a register using their name and contact details.
How Can I Get Involved?
For more information on the On Country, Yarning, and Other Cultural Programs or if you would like to participate in either the Core Design Team or community engagement process, please contact:
- JACS – Legislation, Policy and Programs (on the below details).
| Project Lead |
ACT Government JACS – Legislation, Policy and Programs:
(02) 6207 5367 – 10am to 4pm
Monday to Friday AEST / AEDT
Please note we are currently operating a call back system
IJP@act.gov.au
|
| Online Enquiries |
https://justice.act.gov.au |
| Post |
GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601 |
| Fax |
(02) 6207 0499 |
| TTY Phone Users |
Call 133 677, then ask for 13 22 81 |
On Country, Yarning, and Other Cultural Programs Information Paper – November 2020
On Country, Yarning, and Other Cultural Programs Community Information
