Where we are up to
Due to the increased risk of COVID-19 to Aboriginal communities, the Aboriginal Youth Cautioning Program has been operating in a reduced capacity during the pandemic. This temporary step was undertaken to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission to young people, Aboriginal community members and police.
However, COVID-19 has not impacted upon Victoria Police’s ability to continue to provide standard Child Cautions to eligible Aboriginal young people. Police in three pilot sites have continued to proactively monitor Child Cautions for Aboriginal young people to ensure that every opportunity is taken to caution a young person whenever possible. Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training (ACAT) package encourages cautions/diversion where appropriate. State-wide roll out of the package is to commence in October.
Background
The Aboriginal Youth Cautioning Program (AYCP) is a five year program of work, funded through the Victorian Government’s Community Safety Statement (External link). AYCP seeks to address the over-representation of Aboriginal young people in the criminal justice system, through greater use of cautioning and diversion options, through a community-led model based on the principles of self-determination, early intervention and harm-reduction.