Tiraapendi Woldi leads Aboriginal first project in South Australian justice revinvestment at Port Adelaide

A range of interconnecting factors became part of the action plan for Tiraapendi Woldi, the Port Adelaide Aboriginal leadership group heading the trial exercise in South Australian justice reinvestment.
Images courtesy Tiraapendi Woldi

Tiraapendi Woldi (“Protecting the home” in the Kaurna language), a Port Adelaide Aboriginal leadership group, in 2018 began putting in place a practical trial exercise in South Australian justice reinvestment.

Justice reinvestment involved a shift in spending away from prisons and into community-based programmes and services that address the underlying causes of crime in high-need areas. In 2015, the Justice Reinvestment South Australia coalition and its founding partner Australian Red Cross began moved to set up the first stages of a pilot programme to be led and designed by the Aboriginal community in Port Adelaide. Independent and state government funding was were found for the first stages.

In March 2018, a representative and independent Port Adelaide Aboriginal leadership group of nine independently elected members – that became Tiraapendi Wodli – started planning to identify priority issues and chances for improve the safety, health and lives of Aboriginal families and their children and young people, using a justice reinvestment approach.

Later that year, it released an action plan 2019-21 of priorities, projects and key indicators identified by discussions with Aboriginal community members. The plan focussed on four key target target populations including primary school aged children, young people, men and families accessing services.

The project secured two-year funding (2019-21) from the state government and small grants through the Society of Women Leaders and Wyatt Benevolent Trust. Collier Charitable Fund, an ongoing supporter of Red Cross’ work with Aboriginal communities in the justice system in Ceduna and far west of South Australia,.also was  keen to maintain connection with outcomes achieved with families as the project developed.

Red Cross and Justice Reinvestment South Australia set up a short-term evaluation with University of South Australia through lead investigators professor Leonie Segal (health economics) and associate professor Deidre Tedmanson (social work and social policy) to consider the success and early impact of the work in Port Adelaide.