Developing a Unique Risk of Violence Tool for Australian Indigenous Offenders

Deanne Fitzgerald is currently acting as Aboriginal Service Design Officer with the Department for Community Development. Deanne's job involves the development of Aboriginal specific services in Western Australia. Hector O'loughlin Hector is a Wongi/Noongar man having links to the SouthWest Goldfields area of Western Australia. He is presently the Senior Mediation Officer with the Aboriginal Alternative Dispute Resolution Service (AADRS) which mediates disputes throughout the state, to reduce Aboriginal peoples contact with the criminal justice system. He was recruited under recommendation 178 into deaths in custody which was to increase Indigenous Prison Officer numbers. After working at various regional and metropolitan prisons he was awarded a study scholarship to complete a double major in Justice Studies/Aboriginal Intercultural studies at Edith Cowan University. He is presently completing a Masters in Criminal Justice at the Crime Research Centre University of Western Australia. Hector has a strong interest in criminal justice issues and especially the implementation of programs designed to reduce Aboriginal peoples contact with the criminal justice system. Neil Fong was born in Broome Western Australia and is currently the Executive Officer of the Inquiry into Responses by Government Agencies to Complaints of Family Violence and Child Abuse in Aboriginal communities. He recently completed a Bachelor of Law while working part time at the Department of Indigenous Affairs. He has worked extensively in Aboriginal Affairs, in particular the acquisition of land for the outstation movement. He is extremely interested in the improvement of social justice issues for the Indigenous Australians. Nic Merson Nic Merson is currently working in Melbourne with the Department for Justice as a Project Manager within the Indigenous Issues Portfolio Planning Unit. The Unit:-• Provides and Develops Leadership in the Implementation of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement; • Builds capability in Justice and the Koori community to develop and deliver effective and efficient justice services to the Koori community; and • Monitors, reviews and proposes improvements to the delivery of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement. Cheri Yavu-Kama-Harathunian is a member of the Kubbi Kubbi people of Queenslands Central Western region. She is the Project Manager of the Western Australian Law Reform Commission's Customary Law Project. Projects she has either managed or team membered span Aboriginal/Island such as the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Jane Tittums Jane is a Ingarda – Yamatji woman from (Goyne) which means Carnarvon in the North West of Western Australia. Jane works for …