Alice Springs convention calls for Territory policymakers to ‘get tough on the causes of crime’

Territory policymakers are being told to ‘get tough on the causes of crime’ during a two day convention in Red Centre. Find out why.

Alice Springs Convention Centre. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Organisers behind a two-day conference in the Red Centre capital say policy makers need to take a “smarter approach” and “get tough on the causes of crime”.

Running from Wednesday to Thursday in the Alice Springs Convention Centre, the Justice Reform Initiative (JRI) has brought its 2025 Reintegration Puzzle Conference to the NT.

JRI chair Robert Tickner said it was time for policymakers to shift away from a “tough on crime” approach and instead “get tough on the causes of crime”.

Justice Reform Initiative 2025 Reintegration Puzzle Conference is running in the Alice Springs Convention Centre from June 25 to 26, 2025. Picture: Justice Reform Initiative

“We need to look outside of prison and policing, with real investments in services and critical support like housing, health, and educational and employment opportunities. We need to stop imprisoning disadvantage and start addressing it in the community,” he said.

The conference comes as the Territory grapples with an increasing prison population, and a spate of high-profile deaths in custody.

In the Darwin Local Court, there has been in 250 per cent increase in in-custody numbers in the past seven months.

In Alice Springs on May 27, 24-year-old Kumanjayi White died after he was restrained by two officers inside Alice Springs Coles.

A fortnight later, another man died in Darwin hospital after he was transferred there after he was placed in custody by AFP.

More than 350 people from around Australia were expected to attend the sold-out conference, featuring speakers from First Nations community organisations, leaders from the justice sector, researchers, and people with lived experience.

The conference is now in its 18th year, with the First Nations Children’s Commissioners from around the country set to give a keynote addresse.

SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle. Picture: Justice Reform Initiative

Also addressing attendees in Alice Springs was Kings Narrative founder and managing director Tyson Carmondy and Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care chief executive Catherine Liddle.

“Criminalising children and locking them up does not address youth crime rates or result in safer communities,” Ms Liddle said.

Justice Reform Initiative event chair and executive director Dr Mindy Sotiri said it was “clear jailing is failing” and it was “time to take a smarter approach”.

“All of the evidence shows that prisons don’t work to make communities safer, they don’t work to prevent reoffending, and they also cause great harm,” she said.

Originally published as Alice Springs convention calls for Territory policymakers to ‘get tough on the causes of crime’