Youth Justice Forum

Warning: Images of deceased persons may appear | See the Yuwaalaraay / Gamilaraay pronunciation guide here

In March 2018, Yuwaya Ngarra-li hosted a Youth Justice Forum at Walgett High School. The forum was attended by more than 70 people including young people, parents, and Walgett Aboriginal community organisations

The aims of the Forum were to:

Present data, evidence and information about what is known about young Aboriginal people in Walgett and the justice system.
Gather community members (young people. families, Elders) and all the critical services, organisations, and Walgett stakeholders (Police, legal and justice agencies, Walgett high school) together to discuss the needs of Aboriginal young people at risk of entering or who are already in the justice system and possible responses.
Facilitate a public forum that is action oriented and focused on positive, evidence-based solutions

The forum was attended by more than 70 people including young people, parents, Walgett Aboriginal community organisations including the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service and other members of the Walgett Gamilaraay Aboriginal Community Working Party, and service providers and government agencies including NSW Police, Juvenile Justice, Justice NSW, Aboriginal Legal Service, Legal Aid NSW, the Walgett Community College, Walgett Shire Council and Thiyamali Family Violence Service.

Speakers included visiting and local experts, agency representatives, young people, parents and carers on what is contributing to the high rates of young Aboriginal people ending up in the justice system and what local, evidence-based strategies could work to address this and support children and young people in Walgett to thrive in their community.

A report of the Youth Justice Forum can be found here, which includes the many suggestions raised throughout the forum of possible strategies and solutions that could address the problems identified, and help Aboriginal young people to thrive in Walgett.

Yuwaya Ngarrali has made significant progress and impact in relation to its community-led model of diversion from the criminal justice system. The Two River Pathway to Change model was developed, tested, documented and refined during the evaluated period of 2020-2023, informed by international evidence and local priorities that gives simultaneous attention and strategies at the systemic, community and individual level to effect change. As a result we have seen the KPI of less than 10% of Aboriginal children & young people appearing in the Children’s Court exceeded, with recent available data indicating it to be 7.8% (a figure we will be able to track and measure more precisely in the future with our own linked dataset).

The Evaluation shows DEG providing direct assistance to 144 Aboriginal community members around criminal justice-related matters, including 17 young people provided intensive support by the Youth Team; 14 young people and 19 adults assisted by the Community Troubleshooter Team; and 94 clients of the Dealing with Fines Team.

The Two River Pathway to Change model has enabled an effective community-led approach customised to the Walgett context that gives necessary simultaneous attention and strategies at the systemic, community and individual level to effect change.

The work to date provides evidence of the effectiveness of an ACCO-led model of diversion. We have also learnt that there are many more young people in Walgett needing intensive and holistic support and that this is not a model that DEG can deliver solely at the scale and depth that is required, but is ideally placed to build based on its expertise and relationships with other ACCOs and relevant agencies in Walgett due to the Two River Pathway to Change model and the trust from young people, their families and community.

All that we have learned has underpinned the development of a new Walgett Youth Wellbeing Service and Accommodation which provides an innovative model of collaboration between DEG, Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service and the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT that will respond to one of the nation’s most pressing human rights and policy challenges. In early 2025 the Youth Wellbeing Service has trialled 5 activities and made 3 funding submissions to build and operate the service that we know is needed. Until funds are received our core philanthropic funds support the Wellbeing Lead Loretta Weatherall and other core Yuwaya Ngarrali - DEG staff to trial program activities, with the support of the Yuwaya Ngarrali - UNSW coaches and collaborators.