Overview
Prevention and early intervention can keep Aboriginal young people, women and men out of the criminal justice system. This also requires intersectional services in health, child protection, homelessness and family violence, to deliver effective prevention and early intervention support.
Measures under Goal 16 have worsened
Overall Aboriginal people have less access to culturally safe justice support services. Fewer Aboriginal youth and adults are receiving culturally safe intensive bail support programs.
Closing the Gap – Relevant Outcomes and Targets for Goal 16
The National Agreement does not have outcomes and targets that align with this VAAF goal. Victoria is pursuing more ambitious and comprehensive goals under the VAAF, which are reported on in this chapter and the Data Dashboard.
Closing the Gap - How Victoria is tracking nationally
Not applicable.
Data Note
All measures in this goal are reported on.
16.1 Increase Aboriginal Victorians’ participation in culturally safe and effective justice prevention, early intervention, diversion, and support programs
Measure 16.1.1 Number and proportion of Aboriginal young people receiving intensive bail support through the Aboriginal Intensive Support Program (AISP) formerly Koorie Intensive Support Program (KISP)
What does the data say?
In 2024–25, 71 Aboriginal young people were allocated Youth Justice case management through the Aboriginal Intensive Support Program (AISP), formerly known as the Koori Intensive Support Program. AISP is delivered across five regions and provides intensive support to young people on a range of youth justice orders, including supervised and intensive supervised bail.
In 2024–25, 4.2 per cent of young people accessing AISP were provided intensive bail support.
Does the data show improvement or decline?
There have been 4 more Aboriginal children and young people supported by AISP in 2024-25 than in 2023–24. In the same period there were 4 fewer Aboriginal children and young people receiving bail support through AISP.
There have been 40 fewer Aboriginal children and young people on the AISP and 24 fewer receiving intensive bail supports through AISP in 2024-25 than in 2018–19. This means there was a 20.1 percentage point reduction of children receiving bail support through AISP since 2018–19. With fewer Aboriginal children receiving intensive bail support as a number and percentage this measure is declining.
The AISP aims to reduce the number of Aboriginal young people who are on remand. This includes providing intensive outreach support to assist young people who are complying with bail conditions or conditions placed on deferred sentences.
Measure 16.1.2 Number and proportion of Aboriginal adults receiving intensive bail support
What does the data say?
In 2024–25, 920 Aboriginal adults were referred for intensive bail support. Of those, 435 received intensive bail support. This represents 47.3 per cent of Aboriginal adult referees who were referred to intensive bail support received it.
Does the data show improvement or decline?
In 2024-25, 161 more Aboriginal adults were referred to intensive bail support and 22 more received it than in 2023–24. However, a smaller proportion of Aboriginal adults were receiving intensive bail support in 2024–25 at 54.4 per cent in 2023–24.631 more Aboriginal adults were referred to intensive bail support and 259 more received it in 2024-25 than in 2015–16. This means that since 2015–16, 13.6 percentage points less Aboriginal adults were receiving intensive bail support from those referred.
Fewer Aboriginal adults receiving intensive bail support from referrals means that results for this measure are declining
How does this compare with non-Aboriginal results?
In 2024–25, 3,663 non-Aboriginal adults were referred for intensive bail support. Of those, 1,651 received intensive bail support. This represents 45.1 per cent of non-Aboriginal adult referees who were referred to intensive bail support received it.
This means that Aboriginal adults are as likely to receive intensive bail support than their non-Aboriginal peers.
Measure 16.1.3 Number of Aboriginal children and young people accessing community support programs through youth justice community services4
What does the data say?
In 2024–25, 610 Aboriginal children and young people accessed community support programs through youth justice community services.
Does the data show improvement or decline?
There were 159 more Aboriginal children accessing these services in 2024-25 than in 2023-24. There were 126 more Aboriginal children accessing community support programs through youth justice community services in 2024-25 than in 2019-20.
VALS Regional Hubs
SDRF enabler 2: Address racism and promote cultural safety
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) Regional Hubs initiative delivers culturally safe, place-based legal assistance services across criminal, family and civil law for Aboriginal communities in regional Victoria. Regional Hubs operate in Warrnambool, Mildura, Bendigo, Morwell and West Melbourne.
Each Regional Hub provides legal representation alongside practical assistance from Client Support Officers, working closely with local Aboriginal organisations and courts to deliver holistic, culturally responsive and self-determined solutions. Services include advocacy in family violence and child protection matters, housing and tenancy support, and criminal law representation, with outreach to other areas where needed. The hubs also host community legal education events and initiatives such as free wills clinics and cultural engagement activities, strengthening trust and awareness.
Since July 2023, VALS assisted over 600 clients across 800 matters, achieving outcomes such as bail applications granted, housing disputes resolved, and child protection orders removed, while maintaining a 90 per cent cultural safety satisfaction rate.
Goal 16 – Victorian Government Investment and Action
Corrections Victoria
Victorian Government investment has supported Aboriginal people in the corrections system to access a suite of culturally specific programs and services across prisons, as well as offending-related rehabilitation and transitional programs, that aim to respond to cultural needs.
In the 2025/26 State Budget:
- $3.449 million is provided over 2 years to support the extension of the Aboriginal Healing Unit (AHU) pilot at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (DPFC). The AHU is designed to provide therapeutic care and support for Aboriginal people incarcerated at DPFC.
- $1.620 million is provided over 2 years to support the subsidisation of prisoner phone calls. This is in response to recommendation 42 of the Yoorrook for Justice report.
Additionally, the 2024/25 State Budget initiatives totalling $11.979 million continued supporting the ongoing delivery of existing programs focused on culturally safe supports for Aboriginal people in prison, including:
- $5.263m over five years to continue Aboriginal Wellbeing Officers (AWO) roles and support for the AWO staffing model.
- $3.127m over four years to continue the Statewide Indigenous Arts in Prison and Community Program delivered by The Torch.
- $3.161m over four years to continue the Wadamba Prison to Work Program delivered by Wanyaari.
- $0.428m over four years to continue the Baggarrook Aboriginal Women’s Transitional Housing Program delivered in partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and Aboriginal Housing Victoria.
Together, these investments build on the $3.28 million, $13.7 million and $15.8 million committed in the 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24 budgets respectively to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal people in prisons and being supervised by Community Correctional Services and promote greater Aboriginal self-determination across the justice system.
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