Some Reflections on the Northern Territory's Aboriginal Justice Agreement

The Northern Territory Government’s flagship Indigenous justice policy is the Aboriginal Justice Agreement 2021-2027. Such agreements have been found to make a positive difference in reducing Indigenous incarceration rates in other jurisdictions. Since the Agreement was introduced, the Indigenous incarceration rate in the Northern Territory has increased. Even allowing for the fact that many variables affect the incarceration rate, I suggest some features of the Agreement make it unsuitable for achieving a genuine reduction in the Indigenous incarceration rate. I reflect on the circumstances preceding, and immediately following, the introduction of the Agreement. I examine the public preoccupation with youth crime in the Northern Territory and argue that the Agreement’s lack of focus on reducing youth detention rates in particular makes it unlikely to resolve the social tensions that stoke destructive ‘tough on crime’ approaches to community safety.