Page 124 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2016
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justice programs and research. The ACT is internationally recognised for our restorative justice work, and those involved should be proud of this achievement. Following the RISE project the ACT government introduced phase 1 of the restorative justice program which diverted from the criminal system young people who committed less serious crimes. This shows outstanding results.
Subsequently I worked with the attorney to find ways to help Indigenous young people to take up restorative justice opportunity when offered, and an Indigenous guidance partner was introduced, again with outstanding results. As I said, we already have, thanks to this government and to Minister Corbell, phase 1, enabling restorative justice units to manage young people who have committed less serious crimes.
Last year this government celebrated a major milestone when the ACT Restorative Justice Unit celebrated a decade of operation. Following on from the benefits of stage 1, this government will invest $2.1 million over the next four years to introduce phase 2 of restorative justice for young people and for adults, including for more serious matters.
I have enjoyed working with Minister Corbell in this important policy area, and I know we will both continue to advocate for such matters long after we both leave this place. I know, we both know, the ACT will make a fantastic restorative city. I also congratulate all those in the Restorative Justice Unit and the directorate for their commitment in providing a safe and empowering voluntary justice process that greatly benefits those participating in it as well as the greater community.
Furthermore, restorative justice is not only making a positive impact in our criminal law system but its practice is also embedded in our ACT public schools. I remember it firstly in Charnwood Public School, now Charnwood-Dunlop, and more lately at Kingsford Smith School which, through successive principals, has employed restorative justice to make a difference to the growing school which has faced many challenges in the past.
People in this place may remember that shortly after this school was first opened and the new principal was appointed, unfortunately the principal fell very seriously ill and was replaced by another principal, and that principal was replaced by the first principal coming back, and then again, after a period, he stood down and another principal was selected. Further to that, that principal was actually moved into the directorate because of his considerable skills and a new principal, Jan Day, was then selected to replace him. So you can see they went through a series of principals in a very short space of time.
I thank the immediate past principal, Jan Day, for her innovative ways in utilising restorative practice for the benefit of the school students and teachers, other staff and the wider school community. I have heard only good news from her and from her staff, and I would like to see more schools adopt restorative justice programs to enable restorative justice approaches to behavioural challenges in particular. It takes strong leadership and commitment by the whole school. However, the benefits will speak for themselves.
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