ALS News

Justice Reinvestment for Aboriginal Young People Campaign

01 May 2012

The ALS is supporting a new campaign being launched this week at Government House.

The Justice Reinvestment for Aboriginal Young People Campaign is about addressing the shameful overrepresentation of Aboriginal young people in custody in NSW – currently 50% are Aboriginal!

The Campaign, initiated by ALS Redfern Solicitor Sarah Hopkins in partnership with a number of key organisations, aims to influence the NSW Government to introduce a policy of Justice Reinvestment.

Justice Reinvestment is about:

(1) reducing the significant amount of money Government spends on the detention of young Aboriginal people – it costs $240,000 a year to lock one young person up;

(2) increasing Government investment in local communities thereby increasing the social and economic well-being of those communities; and

(3) reducing the shameful rates of Aboriginal juvenile detention.

ALS Chair Iris White, CEO Gerry Moore and Chief Legal Officer John McKenzie have been invited to attend the launch on 2 May which is being hosted by Her Excellency the Governor of NSW Professor Marie Bashir.

You can register your support for this campaign at www.justicereinvestmentnow.net.au