Community responses to juvenile offending in Halls Creek, Western Australia

Abstract

The unacceptable over-representation of Aboriginal youth throughout the juvenile justice system, together with the recognition of the right to self determination for Aboriginal people, has seen a move towards community-based justice mechanisms in many Aboriginal communities. This study focuses on community responses to, and the extent of, community involvement in the Kimberley town of Halls Creek, through the perceptions of the local people. The level of this involvement is analysed within the socio-historical context which has lead to the imbalance of power, present in the town. The community-based organisation is viewed to have had a small, but positive impact on the extent of offending behaviour, however the realisation of self-determination is dependent upon the degree of community control and real empowerment of the people. Only when this is achieved, will such community-based mechanisms improve the situation for Aboriginal youth before the law. Show more