Feasibility Study – residential facility for Aboriginal women in contact with the criminal justice system
Developing a model and plan for implementation for a residential program for Aboriginal women in Victoria.
The CIJ was privileged to conduct an important collaboration with Djirra to conduct a feasibility study and develop a model for implementation for a residential program for Aboriginal women in Victoria.
The “Aboriginal Women’s Residential Program Feasibility Study” was commissioned by the Victorian Government’s Koori Justice Unit, with Djirra as the lead agency and was an exciting step closer to meeting one of the goals of the current Aboriginal Justice Agreement Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja (“Senior Leaders Talking Strong”).
The project was a strong example of ethical research with Aboriginal people, respecting and enacting Aboriginal self-determination and modelling culturally appropriate ways of engaging with Aboriginal participants and stakeholders. Core to the research was engaging Aboriginal women in yarning circles, supported by the CIJ and led by respected community Elders, to draw on women’s lived experience and knowledge to assess program models – positioning women with lived experience of the criminal justice system as experts, rather than subjects.
