Several years ago, a small group of Carnarvon women became concerned about the ongoing ‘well-above-average’ rates of engagement with the justice system amongst their community especially for young people.
Convinced that there must be a better way, those Carnarvon women in collaboration with the Gascoyne Development Commission started looking into ways of helping the community.
They were tired of knee-jerk responses and band aid fixes that provided no lasting benefit and GDC helped to research justice re-investment.
Justice re-investment is not a new concept and has been a recognised part of effective policy responses to high rates of engagement with the justice system especially for young people where an initial engagement often seemed to lead to more serious contacts and eventual cycles of recurring incarceration later in life.
The concepts are simple, robust and proven. It involves directing relatively modest amounts of funding to the front end of the system.
Justice reinvestment ground-up approach...
Justice reinvestment is not just another service program its about finding better, more effective and more efficient ways of applying the funding and resources we already have.
By working directly with young people at risk and their families and communities and listening to their ideas, service providers can find better, more effective and more efficient ways of helping young people and their families stay out of contact with the justice system.
They can find better ways to keep young people at school, facilitate their entry to work or training, help them avoid risky behaviours and situations and address challenges early.
Community and government can get better results for everyone while achieving more efficient and robust service delivery.
In the long term the goal is to permanently reduce the numbers of young people and families caught up in repeating cycles of trauma, crime and social dysfunction.
GDC worked with an Aboriginal-led community group to identify the federally funded justice re-investment program as being able to support their goals and apply for funding.
In 2025, an Aboriginal-led community group were successful in gaining initial funding of $1.4 million dollars from the Commonwealth Government. In 2026 the Commission continues to auspice the program.
With ongoing support from the State, the group has negotiated funding arrangements and work workplan with the Commonwealth, built community engagement, kept key stakeholders in the Department of Justice, the Shire of Carnarvon, Police, Health, Department of Communities and other service agencies informed and secured staff and premises.
In 2026, the Carnarvon justice reinvestment project, now known as Common Ground Project, was successful in securing further funding for their project and Carnarvon for at least the next 3 years.
