Incredible drop in offending on Groote Eylandt thanks to community court and justice group

One of the most remote islands in the country has more than halved offending after introducing its first community court and justice group.

The Anindilyakwa Healing Centre is now officially open. Picture: Zizi Averill

Offending has halved in the past 12 months since the Northern Territory’s first Community Court and Community Justice Group was established on Groote Eylandt.

According to data provided to the Anindilyakwa Land Council there were 130 offences recorded in the last year compared to 1041 in 2019.

There was also a remarkable drop in youth offending, with 28 offences reported in the past year, compared to 267 in 2019.

Under the Aboriginal Justice Agreement, law and justice groups in some remote Aboriginal communities help inform judges of culturally appropriate punishments for crimes.

Early last year Groote became home to the first re-established community court, launched alongside its Community Justice Group, which offers alternatives to prison.

Cherelle Wurrawilya, chair Anindilyakwa Land Council May 2024

ALC chair Cherelle Wurrawilya said the reduction in offending reflected the council’s work in addressing crime with a community led approach that was “right for our people”.

“This is the way we want to lead and address justice for our community,” she said.

“These numbers are a huge success for Groote Eylandt and the Anindilyakwa people and it is thanks to the Community Justice Group and programs such as their Peacemakers, which has turned the statistics around and helped the community achieve these results.

“The Anindilyakwa Peacemaker Program is an example of a community-led, culturally responsive program built on nationally recognised training frameworks and accreditation.”

Instead of traditional police responses, the Peacemaker Program helps communities resolve problems through negotiation.

A 32-bed healing centre facility on Groote was also completed in March, a key priority of the community’s law and justice Local Decision Making agreement.

The healing centre is now available to men aged 17 to 25 who have been referred to the program through community services or the community courts.

“Funding these programs is critical for our community to feel safe and to manage our community conflicts in a practical and positive way,” Mrs Wurrawilya said.

“A lot of work has been done through the local decision-making agreement to establish these programs, and the outcomes speak for themselves.”