View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Analysis and Policy Observatory (APO) Addressing the “crime problem’’ of the Northern Territory Intervention: alternate paths to regulating minor driving offences in remote Indigenous communities Dr Thalia Anthony Dr Harry Blagg Report to the Criminology Research Advisory Council Grant: CRG 38/09-10 June 2012 1 This is a project supported by a grant from the Criminology Research Grants. The views expressed are the responsibility of the author and are not necessarily those of the Council. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 5 Background ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Methodology ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Quantitative findings .......................................................................................................................... 7 Qualitative findings ............................................................................................................................. 7 Key Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 8 RATIONALE AND AIMS OF STUDY ......................................................................................................... 12 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Context of increased law enforcement in NT Indigenous communities since mid-2006 ................. 15 Police roll out under the NT Intervention ......................................................................................... 16 Impact of Intervention on NT Incarceration rates ............................................................................ 17 Driving offenders as proportion of prison population ...................................................................... 18 Types of driving offending ................................................................................................................ 19 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................... 21 Quantitative ...................................................................................................................................... 21 Qualitative ......................................................................................................................................... 23 INCIDENCE OF DRIVING OFFENDING AND ROAD INJURIES .................................................................. 28 Driving offending rates ..................................................................................................................... 28 Incidence of prison rates and sentences .......................................................................................... 33 Incidence of road fatalities and injuries ............................................................................................ 34 Rates of recidivism ............................................................................................................................ 35 REASONS FOR INCREASE IN DRIVING OFFENDING ............................................................................... 37 Law Enforcement and normalisation ................................................................................................ 37 The Northern Territory Intervention ................................................................................................ 38 Change in police practice .................................................................................................................. 38 2 Road safety strategies ....................................................................................................................... 39 Change in Indigenous community circumstances ............................................................................ 39 Change in road status ....................................................................................................................... 41 High police turnover frails trust and respect for “whitefella law”.................................................... 41 DRIVING GOVERNANCE......................................................................................................................... 43 WARLPIRI PERSPECTIVES ON OFFENDING AND REGULATION .............................................................. 47 Attitudes to licensing ........................................................................................................................ 48 Attitudes to registration – insurance – roadworthy vehicles ........................................................... 49 Drink driving ...................................................................................................................................... 49 Drive disqualified .............................................................................................................................. 49 General issues about law enforcement, obtaining legality and road safety .................................... 50 REGULATION ISSUES AND THE NEED FOR REFORM ............................................................................. 53 Service provision ............................................................................................................................... 53 Seatbelts and baby capsules ............................................................................................................. 57 Abandonment of relationship between non-payment of fines and suspension of licences ............ 58 Roadworthy vehicles ......................................................................................................................... 58 Sentencing and restricted licences ................................................................................................... 60 Alcohol .............................................................................................................................................. 65 LESSONS FROM INDIGENOUS DRIVING AND ROAD SAFETY PROGRAMS IN COMPARABLE JURISDICTIONS: A SNAPSHOT ............................................................................................................... 67 Western Australia ............................................................................................................................. 68 New South Wales .............................................................................................................................. 68 Queensland ....................................................................................................................................... 69 South Australia .................................................................................................................................. 70 Victoria .............................................................................................................................................. 71 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................... 72 Key Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 74 3 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 77 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 79 Legislation ......................................................................................................................................... 79 Cases ................................................................................................................................................. 79 Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................... 79 APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................................... 88 Appendix A: Discussion points for focus group with Warlpiri Elders and young people .................. 88 Appendix B: Discussion points with Warlpiri driving offenders ........................................................ 88 Appendix C: Questions to police working in Aboriginal communities .............................................. 88 Appendix D: Questions to CAALAS/NAAJA lawyers .......................................................................... 89 Appendix E: Discussion points for NT Government staff from various departments ...................... 89 Appendix F: Discussion points for Non-Government Organisations working in Lajamanu and Yuendumu ......................................................................................................................................... 90 Tables and Figure Figure 1: Comparison of Northern Territory rate of imprisonment with Australian