Justice Reinvestment Program

Overview

Please note this consultation has now closed. Submissions received will be published shortly.

For more information on the Australian Government’s justice reinvestment commitments, including the National Justice Reinvestment Program and Justice Reinvestment in Central Australia Program, visit the Justice reinvestment page of our website.

More than 30 years after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, First Nations peoples remain over-represented at every point in the criminal justice system.

On 25 October 2022, the Australian Government announced a commitment to pursue meaningful change by investing in place-based initiatives, led and implemented by First Nations communities and organisations, to help turn the tide on incarceration and deaths in custody.

In the October 2022–23 Budget, $81.5 million was announced for justice reinvestment.  Justice reinvestment allows communities to identify the best ways to prevent and reduce contact with the criminal justice system. It also empowers them to make decisions about the programs and initiatives that affect their lives.

This commitment includes funding of $69 million to support up to 30 community-led place-based justice reinvestment initiatives from 2022–23, and $12.5 million from 2022–23 to establish an independent National Justice Reinvestment Unit to coordinate and support justice reinvestment initiatives at a national level. Recognising that justice reinvestment is a long-term measure, from 2026-27, $20 million of funding will be provided each year for justice reinvestment initiatives.

In the 2023-24 Budget, the Australian Government committed an additional $10 million over four years from 2023-24, for Justice Reinvestment in Central Australia as part of its $250 million plan for A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia.

The Attorney-General’s Department and the National Indigenous Australians Agency, through a joint First Nations Justice Taskforce, are stewarding the implementation of these commitments.

The First Nations Justice Taskforce  proudly partnered with the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research to facilitate national design consultations on the National Justice Reinvestment Program and an independent National Justice Reinvestment Unit. The partnership with the Jumbunna Institute will ensure First Nations knowledge and expertise are central to the design and delivery of this historic commitment.

The discussion paper below outlines guiding principles and key questions for the delivery of this commitment.

• Justice Reinvestment Design discussion paper [PDF 1.5MB]
• Justice Reinvestment Design discussion paper [DOCX 110KB]

The Jumbunna Institute has also prepared a Community Resource to assist communities considering and responding to these questions.

• National Justice Reinvestment Program Community Resource [PDF 3.5MB]
• Online Submissions - Information Sheet [DOCX 162KB]

Why your views matter

The government welcomes submissions from interested organisations, communities and individuals to inform the design of the National Justice Reinvestment Grants Program and the structure and operation of the independent National Justice Reinvestment Unit.

Your submission will help to ensure the Unit and program are accessible and effective in supporting community-led justice reinvestment across Australia.

Have your say

To make a submission, you can complete our online questionnaire on areas that are of interest to you, your community, or your organisation.

To make an online submission, click on 'Make a submission' below and navigate through the survey questions.

You do not need to answer every question. You are welcome to only respond to those questions that are relevant to you, your organisation, or your community.

If you have any questions about this consultation process or would like to discuss your submission, please contact justicereinvestment@uts.edu.au or justicereinvestment@ag.gov.au.

Publishing submissions

The Attorney-General’s Department is collecting your personal information in this consultation process for the purpose of designing a future justice reinvestment program, and independent National Justice Reinvestment Unit.

Your participation in design consultations, or in responding to this discussion paper, is voluntary. You can submit your response under your name, the name of your organisation, or anonymously.

We intend to publish responses at the conclusion of the consultation period, where we have received permission to do so. However, we reserve the right to leave unpublished any submission, or part of a submission, particularly those that provide identifying details. There is a consent question in the survey to confirm whether you agree to your response being made public.

Information received in response to this discussion paper will also be shared with our design partner, the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology (UTS). If you consent to your responses being made public (anonymously or in your name), they may also be referenced in reports prepared by Jumbunna Research on the design and consultation process.

If you choose not to provide us with your personal information we may be unable to contact you about the consultation, however we will still consider your comments.