Promise check: Fund 30 local justice reinvestment models and a national justice reinvestment unit to address First Nations deaths in custody

Promise check: Fund 30 local justice reinvestment models and a national justice reinvestment unit to address First Nations deaths in custody

At the 2022 election, Labor promised to fund 30 local justice reinvestment models and a national justice reinvestment unit to address First Nations deaths in custody. Here's how that promise is tracking.

Person holding up Black lives matter sign (Image by ABC News: Steven Schubert)

More than 30 years after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Labor made an election pledge to address this ongoing issue.

"An Albanese Labor Government will commit $79 million to expand justice reinvestment initiatives across the country and help turn the tide on incarceration and deaths in custody," Labor's election policy platform said.

The document explained the funding would be allocated to up to 30 First Nations communities to "establish locally tailored justice reinvestment initiatives that address the underlying causes" of these issues.

"Existing community-led justice reinvestment models, such as those in Bourke and Halls Creek, have proven successful in reducing incarceration and re-offending by providing targeted supports and services in their communities," it reads.

"To support these efforts, Labor will also establish an independent national justice reinvestment unit, as recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission. The unit will assist communities to develop and evaluate justice reinvestment initiatives, ensuring valuable lessons can be learned and shared across the country."

According to the policy document, the investment would also include additional funding to improve First Nations representation in the legal system, including $13.5 million for legal services to represent families in coronial inquests, $1 million to build capacity in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and $3 million in funding to support the work of the National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum.

Assessing the promise

In its election costings, Labor outlined a plan to spend $15 million in 2022-23 and $28.1 million in each of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years on "First Nations Justice".

This promise will be assessed in accordance with Labor's planned spending set out in the costings document.

Here's how the promise is tracking:

19 May 2023

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19 May 2023

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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