An alarming increase in the number of Indigenous youth in detention should be a wake-up call for the Government to urgently implement policies to address Indigenous overrepresentation in our criminal justice system, the Greens said today.

Numbers in the Productivity Commission’s report on Government services released today show that juvenile detention rates for Indigenous people between 10 and 17 years of age increased by more than 20 per cent in 2009-2010 compared to the previous year, Greens spokesperson for legal affairs, Senator Penny Wright, said.

“The high rate of Indigenous young people in detention is a tragedy,” Senator Wright said. “It deprives Indigenous communities of the hope and potential that young people represent.

“This report shows that Indigenous detention rates are not decreasing, in fact, they are worsening. “High levels of incarceration are both a symptom and cause of Indigenous disadvantage.

“All levels of government must commit to reform which will rapidly reduce imprisonment rates.

“As a first step, COAG must urgently agree to ‘Closing the Gap’ targets to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system.

“The Greens also call on the Federal Government to implement justice reinvestment policies, a proven approach for redirecting funds away from imprisonment costs towards localised programs and services which address the underlying causes of crime and disadvantage.”