Systemic Racism as a Factor in the Over- representation of Aboriginal People in the Victorian Criminal Justice System. September 2005 Harry Blagg, Neil Morgan, Chris Cunneen, Anna Ferrante . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the participation of members of the Victorian Koori community and its representative organisations in the research process. Thanks are owing to Maria Katsabanis for her editing skills on the final report and to staff at the Equal Opportunity Commission for their support and hospitality over the lifetime of the project. Thanks are also due to participants in the Systemic Racism Research Reference Group for their input and to members of the judiciary and workers in government organisations for their assistance. 2 . CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 THE SYSTEMIC RACISM PROJECT...............................................................................6 1. PROJECT BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................6 2. THE TERMS OF REFERENCE.......................................................................................................................9 3. KEY DEFINITIONS: ‘SYSTEMIC RACISM’, ‘INSTITUTIONAL RACISM’ AND ‘SYSTEMIC BIAS’...................12 3. EXPLAINING INDIGENOUS OVER-REPRESENTATION ................................................................................35 4. DATA ON OFFENDING AND VICTIMISATION .............................................................................................47 5. HUMAN RIGHTS, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND OVER-REPRESENTATION..............................................52 CHAPTER 2 DEVELOPMENTS, POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES.................................................54 1. JUVENILE JUSTICE GROUP CONFERENCE.................................................................................................54 2. CORRECTIONS: CASE MANAGEMENT ISSUES ..........................................................................................69 CHAPTER 3 A STATISTICAL EXAMINATION OF ABORIGINAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE VICTORIAN JUSTICE SYSTEM..................................................................................................................71 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................71 2. REVIEW OF STATISTICAL LITERATURE ON INDIGENOUS OVER-REPRESENTATION.....................................72 3. REPORTED VICTIMISATION......................................................................................................................81 4. CONTACT WITH THE POLICE....................................................................................................................85 5. PROCESSED PERSONS...............................................................................................................................86 6. COURT ACTIVITY ....................................................................................................................................92 7. COMMUNITY BASED ORDERS..................................................................................................................92 8. INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN CUSTODY ...........................................................................................................93 9. DEFICIENCIES IN THE QUALITY AND AVAILABILITY OF DATA ................................................................101 10. ARRESTS FOR PUBLIC DRUNKENNESS ....................................................................................................102 11. COURT STATISTICS ................................................................................................................................102 12. ACCESS TO BAIL....................................................................................................................................103 13. RURAL/REGIONAL ANALYSIS.................................................................................................................103 14. DOMESTIC/FAMILY VIOLENCE ...............................................................................................................103 15. COMMUNITY ORDERS AND PAROLE BOARD..........................................................................................104 16. ‘FLOW’ OF INDIGENOUS OFFENDERS IN PRISON.....................................................................................104 17. GENERAL RECORDING OF INDIGENOUS STATUS IN ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS .....................................104 18. GENERAL AVAILABILITY OF PUBLISHED DATA ......................................................................................105 CHAPTER 4 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH, SITE VISITS AND KOORI.PERSPECTIVES..........106 I POLICING, COURTS AND DIVERSION..............................................................................................106 1. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................106 2. INTERVIEWING KOORI PEOPLE AND REPORTING ON THOSE INTERVIEWS...............................................107 3. GENERAL CONTEXT...............................................................................................................................108 4. RELATIONS WITH THE POLICE...............................................................................................................111 5. POLICE ABORIGINAL LIAISON OFFICERS (PALOS)................................................................................112 6. IDENTIFYING KOORIS ............................................................................................................................113 7. POLICE AND ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY JUSTICE PANELS......................................................................113 8. POLICING AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ..............................................................................................116 9. POLICE AND YOUNG KOORI WOMEN ....................................................................................................117 10. MIXED VIEWS ON THE POLICE ..............................................................................................................118 11. POLICE TARGETING OF KOORIS.............................................................................................................119 12. VICTIMS ................................................................................................................................................120 13. KOORI COURTS .....................................................................................................................................121 14. BROADMEADOWS KOORI COURT ..........................................................................................................122 3 . 15. CRITICISMS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE KOORI COURTS.........................................................................124 16. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................................125 17. NON-KOORI COURTS ............................................................................................................................126 18. LEGAL REPRESENTATION......................................................................................................................127 CHAPTER 5 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH, SITE VISITS AND KOORI PERSPECTIVES..........129 II ABORIGINAL YOUTH IN DETENTION ..............................................................................................129 1. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................129 2. METROPOLITAN AND REGIONAL YOUTH...............................................................................................129 3. HOMELESSNESS AND DISLOCATION ......................................................................................................130 4. DRUGS, ALCOHOL, MENTAL HEALTH AND SELF HARM .......................................................................131 5. CHILDREN’S PROTECTION AND JUVENILE JUSTICE................................................................................133 6. REMANDS..............................................................................................................................................133 7. JUVENILE KOORI COURTS .....................................................................................................................134 8. OVERT RACISM .....................................................................................................................................134 9. REINTEGRATION....................................................................................................................................135 10. NEW ANTI CHROMING LAWS ................................................................................................................136 11. SUMMARY.............................................................................................................................................139 CHAPTER 6 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH, SITE VISITS AND KOORI PERSPECTIVES..........141 III ADULT CORRECTIONS........................................................................................................................141 1. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................141