Neighbourhood Justice CentreDelivering Justice Locally –

Strengthening the Yarra Community

Magistrate David Fanning

Non-Adversarial Justice Conference

6 May 2010

Neighbourhood Justice Centre -

Background

• First of its kind in Australia based in inner

city Melbourne (City of Yarra)

• Modelled on overseas community justice

centres: North Liverpool (UK) & Red

Hook (US)

• 3-year pilot Mar 2007 by the Victorian

Department of Justice

The NJC –Broad Goals• Increase participation & confidence of the local

community in the justice system

• Reduce criminal and other harmful behaviour and improve the wellbeing of the community

• Tackle the underlying causes of criminal behaviour and disadvantage

• Working at a local level/ Strengthening the local community

Key features of our community

justice approach

• a multi-jurisdictional court & single magistrate

working at a local level

• problem solving using a therapeutic approach

• restorative justice pilot

• one-stop integrated services & holistic case

management

• engagement & dialogue with local community

• early intervention

• One Magistrate

• Magistrates Court

• Children’s Court

• Civic Jurisdiction

• Victims of Crime Tribunal

• Family violence & other intervention orders List

• Indigenous List

• Special Circumstances List

Why Yarra?

• one of the highest crime rates in Victoria

• Collingwood - top 30 areas of

disadvantage in Victoria

• large shopping & entertainment precinct

generates a huge number of visitors

everyday

• high street drug trade

Integrated Service Delivery…

• Police prosecutors

• Legal Aid and Community Lawyers

• Community Corrections

• Mediation Services

• Restorative Justice Group Conferencing

• Screening Assessment & Referral

includes…

Client services:

responsive, immediate, integrated

• court support

• alcohol & other drug assessment & support

• mental health assistance

• victims’ support

• general counselling

• financial counselling

• housing support

• employment &

training support

• specialist Koori

support

• youth support

• emergency relief

• personal and

material aid

Services on-site

Carlton/Fitzroy

Financial

Counselling

Service Inc

Dispute

Settlement

Centre

Victoria

Youth

Justice

Merri

Community

Health

Service

What’s different in court?

• Encouraging mediation in appropriate cases

before the court and prior to court

• Deferred sentences

• Applying problem solving and therapeutic

approaches where appropriate

• Judicial case management reviews and

monitoring, including CBO reviews

Reduced re-offending

• Recidivism rates reduced from 41% down to 34%

• 14% less likely to re-offend compared to other courts

Increased offender compliance & community work

• Completion rate of for Community Based Orders 75%

Compared to state-wide average of 65%

Crime Reduction

• Since established crime rate in Yarra reduced by 12%

• Residential burglaries down by 26%,

• Motor vehicle theft down by 38%

NJC Results Overall over three years

Innovations in community justice

1. multi-jurisdictional court

2. one magistrate

3. responsive, immediate client services

4. mediation

5. problem solving process

Reflections as the sole Magistrate

• Exhilarating, stimulating

• Differing expectations

• Differing professional approaches

• Community perceptions

Neighbourhood Justice Centre

Delivering Justice Locally –

Strengthening the Yarra Community

The role of “community” in a community

justice centre

• Dr Stuart Ross – Melbourne University

• Fran Whitty – Acting Director Neighbourhood Justice

Centre (NJC)

• James Fraser – NJC Koori Justice Officer

• Krystal Cutajar - NJC Koori Justice Officer

The role of “community” in a community

justice centre

• Neighbourhood Justice Centre established to

“enhance community involvement in and ownership

of the justice system”

• Review findings from the NJC evaluation on the

meaning of community justice and its potential for

wider application in the courts

• Look in detail at one particular aspect of the NJC

community engagement activity – the Indigenous

Engagement Strategy

The role of “community” in a community

justice centre

• “Community justice” an increasingly popular

concept

– Rapid spread of community justice or

neighbourhood justice centres

– An aspect of the mobilization of community in

contemporary social governance

• But important aspects of the community

justice model remain poorly defined

Community justice goals

• Increasing the participation and confidence of the

community in the justice system

• Tackling the underlying causes of criminal

behaviour and disadvantage

• Reducing crime and improving the wellbeing of the

community

• Providing information

• Personalizing justice processes

• Treating people fairly, equitably and

respectfully

• Building links with the community

Community Justice: Increasing

Confidence and Participation

• Improving access to community

programs and resources for CJS clients

• Using community agencies as a

pathway to the solution of legal

problems

Community Justice: Tackling the

causes of crime

• Using local knowledge to analyse crime problems and community perceptions and responses

• Engaging with local context to devise solutions

• Implementation through coordinated engagement between agencies and the community

Community Engagement: responding

to local crime problems

1. Community informing current & future service delivery

2. Better access to resources by supporting clients appropriately

3. A community facility - a safe & welcoming environment

4. Community partnerships & projects –building capacity

How? Case Study:

NJC Indigenous Engagement Strategy

• Local indigenous elders integral in initial community consultation

• Ongoing representation on Community

Justice Advisory group

• 2 Koori Justice Workers

• External local networks – Yarra Aboriginal Support Network

• Internal NJC indigenous working group

1. Community informing current &

future service delivery:

• Outreach Model

• Culturally specific case management & support

• Duel Supervision, Secondary & Tertiary Consultation

• Support with Problem Solving meetings and Mediation

2. Better access to resources by

supporting clients appropriately

• 95 - 100% attendance @ Indigenous

Hearing Days (monthly)

• Understanding with Police

• Culturally specific support

• Expert advise to the NJC Court

• Referrals

Better access to resources by

supporting clients appropriately

NAIDOC week - NJC Koori Justice workers, Krystal and James, with Uncle

Jack Charles - respected elder, actor and ex-offender who spoke about

his criminal justice history and reform

Symbolic messages in Foyer:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags

• Recognition of country sign

• “Koori Korner” (information & resource

library)

“Mingle with the Mob” information sessions

3. A community facility - a safe &

welcoming environment

1. Special Events:

• Recognition of National indigenous

annual calendar events (Sorry

day;NAIDOC Week)

• Talking Justice Community Conversation

“Lore & the Law”

Community Partnerships & Projects

• Collingwood Art project: safety project;

community/cultural education;

strengthening links between indigenous

park users and young people

• “Beyond The Bars” radio program (3CR)

4. Community Partnerships &

Projects…building capacity

Working with the Indigenous community and

young people in Yarra to improve safety on the

Collingwood Housing Estate

• Smith Street Community Consultation

• Assisting with Business Planning &

strategic planning for local Indigenous

community center (MAYSAR)

• Development of framework for use of

respected community members in NJC

processes.

4. Community Partnerships &

Projects…building capacity

• Greater engagement: (95-100% attendance at

Indigenous Hearing Days)

• “That place that all the Kooris go to…” –

acceptance by local indigenous community

• Increased understanding of & engagement in

process & decisions leading to…

• Increased ownership over outcomes &

compliance of court orders…

Results

Reduced re-offending

• Recidivism rates reduced from 41% down to 34%

• 14% less likely to re-offend compared to other courts

Increased offender compliance & community work

• Completion rate of for Community Based Orders 75%

Compared to state-wide average of 65%

Crime Reduction

• Since established crime rate in Yarra reduced by 12%

• Residential burglaries down by 26%,

• Motor vehicle theft down by 38%

NJC Results Overall over three years

A Community resource

• NJC is utilised by other agencies to facilitate

resolution to entrenched problems

• sense of community ownership

– community invites NJC to participate

– community uses our building

• increased awareness and use of mediation

• Increased use and awareness of VOCAT

Successes continued …

These results are dependant on the efforts of many

staff….

• “The lawyer, corrections officer and

psychologist assigned to my case from

my point of view have not only been

professional but exceptionally honest

and well spirited”

(NJC Client)

User perspective…

• “I was very impressed with the

proceedings at the NJC. I felt heard and

supported in every way and the staff I

dealt with were unfailingly polite, friendly

and very helpful. I think this kind of court

is a fantastic community facility.”

(NJC Client)

View from the Court room