Under its plan,the Commonwealth would spend $79 million over four years,with that funding to be matched by state and territory governments.
A pilot justice reinvestment project has run in the NSW town of Bourke since 2013,with the community identifying its priorities and what could act as circuit breakers. These have included addressing breaches of bail,outstanding warrants and the need for a local learner driver program. Similar programs are being established in Mt Druitt and Moree.
A KPMG analysis of the Bourke project found significant reductions in domestic violence,reoffending,bail breaches and charges for juvenile offences. The year 12 retention rate rose by nearly a third while the number of days people spent in custody dropped by two-fifths. Overall,the NSW economy saved $3.1 million in a year,more than five times the cost of the project.
“The really important thing about justice reinvestment is the buy-in from the community and the government agencies as well,” Ms Burney said.
“But it’s hard work,the results might not come in for six months,eight months,10 months,a year,two years – but they do come.”
Labor would also establish national,real-time reporting of all deaths in custody. After the royal commission,the Australian Institute of Criminology started reporting on the number of deaths each financial year,but its publications lag by up to 18 months.
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Ms Burney said that was an important component so the community and policymakers had a handle on what was happening.
“There is no centralised place where people are accountable,that can actually tell you within 24 hours who died in custody and what the circumstances are,” Ms Burney said.
“Whether a person dies in custody under suspicious neglectful circumstances,they die of old age,they die of an accident – whatever.”
Labor would also provide $13.5 million to make coronial inquests more comprehensive and ensure the voices of families and Indigenous communities are heard. This would include specific funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services.
Mr Wyatt announced on Wednesday the federal government would spend $2.4 million to set up a new custody notification service in South Australia,which provided culturally safe health and welfare checks and offers basic legal advice to Indigenous people. It is also boosting the funding for existing custody notification services in Victoria and the Northern Territory. This leaves Queensland and Tasmania as the only states without custody notification services.
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