1. African/Australian community and the criminal justice system:
Peter Norden, A.O.
Convenor
Victorian Criminal Justice Coalition

2. Correlates with criminal behaviour:
Parenting skills
Educational opportunities
Job skills and employment training
Income security
Employment
Social networks/social cohesion
Mental health/substance misuse

3. Recent studies of disadvantage: Tony Vinson:“Dropping off the edge”
Correlation with criminal convictions:
Low Job Skills
Low Qualifications
Disability pensioners
Year 12 incomplete
Low Income

4. Correlates with imprisonment:
Low job skills
Low pre-school attendance
Unemployment
Year 12 incomplete
Low taxable income
Child mistreatment
Public rental housing

5. Cf. Indigenous Australians
Is their level of criminality a reflection of their indigenous identity and history?
Or a reflection of the level of entrenched social disadvantage and alienation?

6. Entrenched Disadvantage:
Similar patterns of disadvantage, namely child neglect, early schooling leaving, poor job skills, low unemployment can be found in the most disadvantaged mainstream Australian communities.

7. Specific cultural/ethnic contexts:
For African/Australian communities and their young people, there are specific cultural, ethnic, historical dimensions that compound the general social context.
So with earlier resettlement groups, such as Italians, Eastern Europeans, South East Asians, Middle Easterners.

8. Points of positive intervention:
Broad definition of the problem
Prevention better than cure
Early intervention rather than later
Broad based programs essential
Avoid stand alone criminal justice intervs
Avoid short term projects: boomerangs
Serious engagement with leaders

9. Challenges to crim. justice system:
Must collaborate with other departments
Must seriously consult local community
Diversion more likely to succeed
Recruit diversity in culture personnel
Broader training and inculturation
Models of alternative dispute resolution
Restorative justice models effective

10. Secret to Successful Intervention:
Must be multi-pronged response
Integrated whole of govt. approach
Education/Health/Welfare/Recreation
Avoid criminal justice interventions
Development of local leadership
Key function of ethnic role models
Ongoing (not reactionary) engagement