ANewStolenGeneration:theEpidemic ofIndigenousIncarceration

ByEujinyCho

So how can we end the reign of this myth? In the status quo, far too much government funding is thrown at prisons and police, only reinforcing the power of the punitive systems that exacerbate the problem. Several solutions have been suggested by Indigenous communities, though none have been taken up by governments in a meaningful way; raising the age of criminal responsibility, or implementing circle sentencing and healing programs, for example. Justice reinvestment - an approach that diverts funding from prisons to local communities, to address the underlying causes of crime in these areas - seems like a good start

But the most important thing is to empower Indigenous communities. Community leaders and elders must be given a full and uninterrupted platform to resolve disputes, reintegrate offenders, and bring about healing. We must not let harmful, racist, blanket policy stand in their way.

Children forcibly removed from their families, culture and communities at horrifying rates. An institution that claims to ‘protect’ them whilst serving the interests of the racist majority. A vicious, intergenerational cycle of trauma. Sound familiar? This continued incarceration of Indigenous children seems to be a haunting reiteration of the Stolen Generation - a practice that occurred a century ago. Clearly Australia has failed to reflect upon itself. And it is time to do so.