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Justice Reinvestment is an approach that supports Aboriginal communities to lead local solutions to local issues that contribute to offending and incarceration. Its aim is to resource communities to develop and deliver initiatives that reduce the contact of Aboriginal adults and young people with the criminal justice system, including police, courts and prisons.
Justice Reinvestment is underpinned by five key principles. It is:
Government's role in justice reinvestment is to be led by community and walk alongside communities to address systemic issues that drive Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to offend. Government support can include:
The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) acknowledges the interconnectedness of Justice Reinvestment initiatives with other programs including the NSW Government's place-based responses led by the Premier's Department, Stronger Places, Stronger People, Local Decision Making through Aboriginal Affairs NSW, Aboriginal Justice Partnerships and other place-based initiatives.
DCJ currently funds five Justice Reinvestment sites in NSW.
There are nine NSW Justice Reinvestment sites in total, they are supported through a combination of investments from the DCJ Justice Reinvestment funding package, the Commonwealth National Justice Reinvestment Program and philanthropic funding.
On 18 July 2022, the NSW Government committed a funding package of $9.8 million to expand Justice Reinvestment in NSW.
As part of this funding commitment, in 2023, DCJ funded Just Reinvest NSW $2.5 million to expand Justice Reinvestment initiatives in Kempsey and Nowra from June 2023 to June 2027.
Justice Reinvestment in Kempsey is embedded into the work of Learning the Macleay, a community-led, place-based initiative focused on strengthening outcomes for everyone across the Macleay Valley.
With support from Justice Reinvestment funding, a dedicated Community Research and Data Officer gathers and make sense of local information. This work supports the community to better understand what’s driving contact with the justice system, and to use that knowledge to shape practical, community-led responses. By building a strong local evidence base, this helps Learning the Macleay and community partners identify opportunities for prevention, early intervention, and long-term systems change.
Led by Waminda South Coast Women’s Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation, Waminda has built the Justice Reinvestment backbone team, including the Justice Reinvestment Manager and the Community Data Lead. The team will establish the Community Leading Justice Reinvestment group. The work interprets and uses regional data to inform solutions to local issues.
Waminda has developed local justice circuit breakers based on community input and local data, for example the 'Midthong Muru' (Youth Program) has six separate initiatives reaching a large proportion of the Aboriginal young population, including 'Bulwul Balaang' (Strong Women) which supports young people through various health and wellbeing programs. The 'Mirriral Bulwul' (Strong Spirit) focuses on youth suicide prevention using similar activities for identified at-risk youth. The 'Guman Nanga-Mai' (Grandfather Dreaming) program targets young men's cultural wellbeing through culture, and health/wellbeing. The 'Ngai Muru' (ADVO & DV support) provides support to young people experiencing contact with the justice system.
In January 2024, the NSW Justice Reinvestment Grant Program was announced, which offered up to $7.5 million in funding to Aboriginal communities in NSW to undertake Justice Reinvestment initiatives.
Through this Grants Program, four communities received funding over three years from June 2024 to June 2027.
The assessment panel consisted of senior representatives from DCJ, Aboriginal Affairs NSW, the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT and the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Regional Alliances.
More information about the Justice Reinvestment Grants Program can be found on the NSW Grants and Funding website.
Grant recipients are:
The team are working to reduce interactions between young people and police in Mount Druitt by providing avenues for community engagement and cultural connection. Key initiatives include the establishment of an Aboriginal-controlled youth service called the Mounty Aboriginal Youth and Community Services (MAYCS) to provide holistic support for young people, and the forging of strong connections with local service providers including police, courts, housing and mental health services.
Under the guidance of the Toomelah Community Justice System Advisory Group, Toomelah LALC will work to reduce youth contact with the justice system through culturally safe early intervention. Initiatives include a night patrol run by local Elders and youth workers, youth cultural programs, as well as a range of other integrated support strategies designed to help young people and their families living in the northern NSW towns of Toomelah and Boggabilla.
Jana Ngalee LALC was funded to facilitate a community-led diversionary program to re-direct people away from the justice system in the remote Aboriginal communities of Malabugilmah and Jubullum, located in the Clarence Valley. However, DCJ and Jana Ngalee LALC have agreed to an early conclusion of the agreement on 30 June 2026. This is due to the local Aboriginal community indicating that their priorities have shifted over time, and their docus is now land management and connection to country.
Overseen by local Elders, Traditional Owners and other community leaders in the Kelso area, Wahluu Health Aboriginal Corporation will launch and coordinate ‘Wundirra’ - Standing in Your Own Light. Through engagement with core agencies, departments, and organisations, Wundirra is a culturally safe, dependable space for Aboriginal young people and their families. They foster wellbeing and empowerment by working with families and community to co-design and deliver youth-appropriate supports and programs. These are aimed at enriching the lives of young people and address the root causes of young people’s contact with the justice system.
The NSW Government is committed to working closely and collaboratively with Aboriginal communities to achieve the targets under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
While Justice Reinvestment is not on the Closing the Gap Implementation Plan 2025-2028, the approach works to achieve shared outcomes. Specifically, Justice Reinvestment works towards achieving:
DCJ is working towards building the connection of this work with the Closing the Gap Priority Reforms.
If you have questions, we’d like to hear from you. Please email justicereinvestment@dcj.nsw.gov.au.
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