Construction is now complete on a new 32-bed Healing Centre facility on Groote Eylandt, with 14 participants already partaking in the day program.
The Anindilyakwa Healing Centre is an alternative to custody. While prisoner numbers in the Northern Territory soar under the new Country Liberal government, the Healing Centre provides culturally appropriate, community-based residential rehabilitation as an alternative to imprisonment in Darwin.
Drug and Alcohol Services Australia (DASA) are overseeing the daily operations of the facility, including delivering services like addiction treatment and courses in literacy through its Alternative to Custody program, with 11 million dollars in NT government funding for operating costs over the next four years.
The Alternative to Custody program offers a tailored residential program of six months for Aboriginal men who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing interactions with the justice system.
According to DASA, the program is developed and led with a cultural lens in partnership with the Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) and the Aboriginal Justice Unit (Northern Territory Government).
The Healing Centre is available to men aged 17 to 25 who have been referred to the program through the newly established community courts which came into effect early last year. The community court works alongside the NT Local Court to give judges more sentencing options and culturally appropriate punishments.
The program provides access to employment and training opportunities as well as tailored rehabilitation and therapeutic programs to target risk factors. Its goal is to ensure and support men's avoidance of any further negative contact with the criminal justice system.
The construction of the project is funded by Anindilyakwa Land Council, the NT and federal governments, and philanthropic donations.
ALC Chair Cherelle Wurrawilya said the Land Council and local Elders had played an instrumental role in advocating, planning and designing the facility to ensure culturally safe on-country rehabilitation.
"For too long we have watched our troubled young people travel to Darwin to be locked up only to re-offend and return to prison. Since the LDMA was signed it has played a critical role in helping us achieve an alternative to custody and it is vital the LDMA continues to operate so we can achieve our vision for Groote," Ms Wurrawilya said.
"The Healing Centre is something Elders on Groote have been advocating for. We know this is the road to better outcomes for our community and reducing the disproportionately high rates of incarceration amongst our Anindilyakwa men.
"Residents at the facility will undergo skills training and cultural education to help them rediscover their pride in belonging to the community, they will be able to build skills which will provide better outcomes for them and our community."
There has been a significant fall in youth crime on Groote Eylandt over the past six years since communities were empowered through local decision-making agreements which gave them control over housing, education, economic development, health, local government, and law and justice.
The healing centre is designed to play a crucial role in facilitating behaviour change by offering targeted interventions that address both individual needs and cultural connections. More alternative to custody sites is being discussed for Central Australia and the Big Rivers Region as part of the NT Aboriginal Justice Agreement (AJA).
