The business case costed a five-year pilot of the court at $19.3 million in total,or less than $3.9 million a year. It calculated potential savings over six to eight years of $16.2 million on prison beds and $5.6 million from a reduction in recidivism rates,plus potential productivity gains.
Attorney-General Mark Speakman and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet provided crucial backing forthe Youth Koori Court at Surry Hills and Parramatta,a Children's Court initiative that aims to divert young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders from prison by tackling the causes of crime.
The Walama Court,which would be based in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court,is based on a similar model but is aimed at the adult population.
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In NSW,Indigenous people make up2.8 per cent of the population but approximately 25 per cent of the prison population.
"The main drivers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples'incarceration are complex and include intergenerational trauma,family violence and sexual abuse,social exclusion and racism,substance abuse,health,education,unemployment and child protection issues,"the business case says.
The Walama Court would involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders in sentencing discussions with the judge,and during the rehabilitation and monitoring phase. It would be open to 75 to 100 participants a year.