Ending over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the criminal justice system
Posted on Fri 25 February 2011
Smart Justice seeks to enhance the safety of the Victorian community by promoting understanding of criminal justice policies that are effective, evidence-based and human rights compliant. Smart Justice is supported by a coalition of organisations led by the Federation of Community Legal Centres (Victoria) Inc, the peak body for Victoria’s 51 community legal centres. As a supporter of the campaign, the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service has collaborated with Smart Justice to produce a fact sheet entitled Ending over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the criminal justice system which can be downloaded here.
The Smart Justice project has many more useful fact sheets built around a joint commitment to:
• healthy, diverse and inclusive communities
• respect for human rights and enforceable human rights protections
• enhanced support for victims of crime
• stopping violence
• greater focus on crime prevention and cost-effective crime prevention strategies
• greater resources to address the causes of crime and repeat offending
• sentencing options that address the causes of offending
• a health-focused response to reduce alcohol abuse and related violence
• reducing the use of knives and other weapons
• policing that avoids unnecessary use of force and that builds community confidence
