Annual Reports

Department of Attorney General/Department of Justice (incorporating Corrective Services)

Annual Report 2000-2001:
Aboriginal Policy and Services further developed a pilot prison-to-work transition program in the Pilbara, aimed at helping released prisoners to gain and retain employment, reintegrate into the community and avoid continued offending.  The office also extended the Aboriginal Visitors Scheme, and contributed to the development of the Aboriginal Justice Plan.  In future, they seek to provide support to the regional Aboriginal Justice Council through the Aboriginal Visitor's Scheme, and update the Aboriginal Justice Plan in consultation with related Government and community organisations.  Three new prisoner work camps were opened in regional Western Australia, following extensive consultation with Aboriginal elders and community organisations.  Community consultative groups will now operate in all areas where there is a work camp (six in total). The Aboriginal family supervision program, designed to help young Aboriginal offenders complete their community-based orders with support of their families, continued to operate, and an Aboriginal Juvenile Justice Team coordinator was appointed. Within Offender Management and Prison Services, and in terms of managing offenders within the community, the Aboriginal Cyclic Offending program (to reduce re-offending by adults and juveniles) was consolidated. The Aboriginal mentors scheme for young people was extended to assist with completion of community supervision orders.  For offenders in custody (juveniles), the Kimberley Supervised Bail Program was developed through the establishment of the Banana Well juvenile bail facility for accommodating juveniles who were eligible for bail, but did not have a responsible adult to fulfil bail conditions. It is operated by the Burrguk Aboriginal community on behalf of the Ministry, and provides care, accommodation and supervision.  For juveniles, it means they do not have to be escorted to and from a remand centre in Perth, and they are not removed from their culturally familiar surroundings and supports.  A second facility is near completion near Kununurra.

Annual Report 2001-200:
There has been a reduction in rates of imprisonment, and changes in the way the Department works with Aboriginal communities, but the issue of Indigenous over-representation remains an important and difficult one.  Building a culturally-sensitive justice system, through effective partnerships with Aboriginal people, is a priority.  The Kimberley Justice Project will give rise to the development of the Kimberley Regional Justice Plan, which will be the first of a series of regional justice plans.  It is intended that the plans will divert offenders away from imprisonment to appropriate alternatives in the community, reduce over-representation in prisons, and enhance community safety.  In terms of managing juvenile offenders in the community, Aboriginal Case Support Officers have been appointed to assist young people and their families with attendance at family group conferences and compliance with resulting action plans.  Further, a framework for Community Supervision Agreements to include juveniles was established.  For managing adult Aboriginal offenders in custody, a strategic plan was developed (2002-2005), and Aboriginal Elders Speakers Program was initiated in 11 prisons (with a corresponding Community Reference Group to assist), and culturally sensitive Aboriginal offender treatment programs for sex offenders and drug and alcohol abuse were develoed and provided in prisons.  New work camps were established in remote and regional areas, with Aboriginal community consultation.

Annual Report 2002-2003:
Aboriginal over-representation continues to cause concern, leading to the establishment of the State's first circle court at Yandeyarra in the Pilbara, and the commencement of discussions about common service delivery in remote central desert lands.  As part of its commitment to the Gordon Inquiry, the Department has developed key initiatives in the areas of offender rehabilitation monitoring in remote communities and supporting remote communities to manage Aboriginal adult offenders. For Community and Juvenile Justice and Prisons Divsions, and in terms of managing juveniles in custody, a third remote supervised bail facility was opened at Yandeyarra.  Aboriginal Policy and Services made the prison-to-work program permanent after a two-year trial.

Annual Report 2003-2004:
The signing of the AJA in 2004 marked a new approach to dealing with Indigenous justice issues.  It is part of the Department's leading role in the whole-of-government response to the Gordon Inquiry.  It intends, in future, to lead and coordinate the AJA implementation plan, which involves development of local, regional and State justice plans, coordinating consultations to develop a discussion paper on Aboriginal courts, continuing to support Prisons, Court Services and Community and Juvenile Justice in developing and implementing their Aboriginal Service Plans, and working with other agencies and the Department to implement the Gordon Inquiry initiatives.  Aboriginal community advisory committees were established by all regional prisons, and the cross-border justice initiative has been progressed. (for instance, a full demographic profile of people in the relevant areas has been prepared).  As part of the Gordon Inquiry, the Department has appointed program officers to deliver perpetrator programs for adult and juvenile offenders on remote communities, and officers to work with remote Aboriginal community councils in relation to managing offenders on community-based orders.  The Department of Justice's Reconciliation Statement and the Prisons Division Aboriginal Services Strategic Plan (2002) appear to be improving services for Aboriginal prisoners. The range of rehabilitation programs tailored to meet the needs of Aboriginal prisoners, and relevant vocational and education opportunities (through appointment of Aboriginal education workers) were increased, with literacy and numeracy training in prison industrial workshops also expanded. Aboriginal prisoners participated in the Vocational Educational Guidance for Aboriginals Scheme, which helps prisoners to engage in post-compulsory training, develop skills and explore career opportunities. It also links prisoners to employment and/or training options after release.  Further,  Aboriginal elders-speakers programs were introduced into eight prisons. For young Aboriginal detainees, the Young Offender Personal Development program was re-oriented, with more Aboriginal content, and psychologists received supervision from an Aboriginal psychologist during their training.  Education services delivered by Aboriginal education officers provided individualised learning programs for Aboriginal young people. And a number of Aboriginal youth completed the Protective Behaviours program (teaching them about dealing with potentially abusive behaviours), which supports the Gordon Inquiry recommendations, and a sex offender counselling program for remote Aboriginal youth.  Aboriginal cross-cultural awareness training was provided to staff.  As part of implementing the Gordon Inquiry recommendations, Community and Juvenile Justice appointed officers to deliver perpetrator programs to adults and juveniles on remote Aboriginal communities.  They will work with communities and other Government agencies, with community members encouraged to help deliver programs that are tailored to meet local needs and culture, and two further officers were appointed to work with remote Aboriginal community councils to manage offenders on community-based orders.  Community supervision agreements are now held in 40 communities, and will be increased over the next year.  Such agreements are essential because of the vast size of the State and sparse distribution of the population, making a permanent presence in all locations impractical. A number of communities have withdrawn from the regional juvenile bail program, including Banana Well following review of the community's resources.  The Aboriginal Visitors Scheme was also moved forward, to allow, for instance, improved access by visitors to all prisons.

Annual Report 2004-2005: 
In terms of Community and Juvenile Justice and Prisons, the Mahoney Inquiry was announced.  The Young Offenders Act 1994 was amended to allow community supervision agreements and community juvenile conferencing in remote areas.  Agreements have been set up, and Aboriginal community supervision officers have also been employed, on a number of communities.  A discussion paper on Aboriginal Courts was finalised, and is under consideration by the judiciary.

Annual Report 2005-2006:
The Department of Justice was separated into the Department of the Attorney General (DotAG) and Department of Corrective Services (DCS) as a result of the Mahoney Inquiry recommendations.  The DotAG prioritised these recommendations according to their impact upon community safety, service delivery and staff safety and wellbeing, and gained Government funding to implement its key initiatives (and those of the AJA).  22 foundation projects relating to those recommendations were funded by Government in the last year, mostly relating to the DCS.  Court Services began a community court at Norseman.  It intends to reduce Aboriginal people's contact with the justice system by improving fines enforcement case management practices, implementing an Aboriginal Court pilot in Kalgoorlie, developing family violence courts and associated programs at Geraldton and in metropolitan areas, and recruiting Aboriginal Court Liaison Officers in key court areas.  As a result of the discussion paper on Aboriginal courts, work has begun on developing a pilot at Kalgoorlie. 

Annual Report 2005-2006:
The Kalgoorlie-Boulder community court has started operation (with early indications being positive as 90 adult and 40 juvenile defendants elected to be dealt with by this court), and family and domestic violence courts, based on the Joondalup model, have been rolled out to address family violence in Aboriginal communities, offering defendants access to relevant programs. (1)  The Mahoney Inquiry informs much of the DotAG's work.  Progress has been made on five key initiatives, including the recruiting of Aboriginal Liaison Officers within courts (Recommendation 124). An Aboriginal Family Violence Court has been set up in Geraldton (the first such regional court), with much local Aboriginal participation in the project. The DCS and DotAG employed more community development officers in remote areas to assist in the management of outstanding fines and assist communities to identify community work for offenders.

DCS Annual Report 2006-07

Community engagement with Aboriginal people is a priority, in particular, planning for new custodial facilities in the Kimberley and Goldfields regions.  Much of the DCS' work is informed by the Mahoney Inquiry.  In this reporting period, as part of a Reducing Aboriginal Imprisonment Strategy (a joint strategy with the Department of the Attorney General) the following were either planned for, or implemented:

1. returning prisoners to their home communities to decrease the likelihood of re-offending
2. providing bail coordinators at two prisons to help with meeting of bail conditions 
3. increasing access to early release through viable parole plans
4. facilitating employment options post-release for prisoners 
5. employing a sheriff/community development officer for work in the Goldfields and other communities to increase the use of fine payment options.

Planning on future facilities at Goldfields and Kimberley progressed, focusing on specific needs of Aboriginal prisoners.  The KARG continued to work with the Department to provide advice and guidance on reducing offending.  A similar plan is being developed for Goldfields and Ngaanyatjarra Lands regions in 2006/07.