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The ALS (NSW/ACT) provides legal services from 22 offices across NSW and the ACT.
All our offices provide legal services to Aboriginal people in the field of Criminal Law.
All ALS (NSW/ACT) lawyers are able to provide legal assistance to children and young people in criminal law matters.
The ALS (NSW/ACT) also operates a 24 hour telephone custody notification service.
If an Aboriginal person is arrested in NSW or the ACT, he or she should request the police
to telephone the ALS (NSW/ACT) so that the arrested person can speak with us, let us know of their arrest
and obtain legal advice.
The ALS (NSW/ACT) provides legal services in Family Law and Care and Protection at our separate
Family Law and Care and Protection units.
Family Law Units are located at our offices in Parramatta, Dubbo and Canberra.
Care and Protection units are located at our offices in Parramatta, Dubbo, Canberra, Grafton and Wagga Wagga
- from where our solicitors travel to surrounding areas.
Other legal problems, such as those involving credit and debt, discrimination, mental health,
social security, to name a few, are called Civil Law matters. The ALS (NSW/ACT) employs a Civil Law solicitor,
to give advice only, in our Dubbo office.
Through an arrangement with the Legal Aid Commission of NSW, Legal Aid Commission solicitors visit other
ALS (NSW/ACT) offices on a regular basis to provide advice to Aboriginal clients on these matters and in
suitable cases to provide representation.
Officers from the Unit regularly visit all adult correctional centres and juvenile detention centres,
police stations and corrective services holding cells. The Unit also provides court support for people
appearing at court, as well as escorting inmates from prisons to rehabilitation services.
The Unit offers a range of supports for inmates and makes contact with families,
community organisations and relevant government agencies.
The purpose of the programme is to reduce rates of recidivism and to assist in the
rehabilitation of incarcerated Aboriginal Australians and their return to the community.
The ALS (NSW/ACT) employs Victims of Family Violence Contact Officers who act as the first point of
contact for Aboriginal people falling victim to family violence. These are Aboriginal women who are
highly trained and experienced in dealing with victims of family violence of all ages and genders.
They are based at our offices in Grafton and Wagga Wagga, but they will also travel to other offices.
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