Criminology Research Council grant ; (2/81)
The report appeared as a chapter in the official report Aboriginies and Uranium, Consolidated Report on the Social Impact of Uranium Mining on the Aboriginies of the Northern Territory 1978-1984. A chapter by Sue Kesteven entitled 'Alcohol and Family Life' which appeared in the same publication should be read in conjunction with the chapter by Professor Tatz.
The original grant was to enable
- a study of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal 'criminality' in the Northern Territory;
- an assessment of the impact of uranium mining on levels and prevalence of Aboriginal-committed offences; and
- an evaluation of the impact of our criminal and its procedures on remote Aboriginal communities.
These proposals were frustrated by the existing system of statistics in the Territory. The police force, since August 1980, has kept a record of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal arrestees, and those observed or believed to be alcohol and non-alcohol related offences. However, the Law Department maintains no such distinctions, so that arrestees could not be followed through the courts to conclusion.
Several conclusions, however, were made. First, the Aboriginality' of the offender and his/tier alcoholic state at arrest depends 'on the observation of the arresting officer and includes people who are part-Aboriginal'. Second, the mining of uranium as such has had no significant effect on the adjacent Aboriginal community at Oenpelli and jabiru. But access to royalty money has had a significant effect: there is money to buy vehicles and more alcohol, and there is now, proportionate to the whole population, a serious vehicle-alcohol-accident-injury-sometimes death relationship. Third, of the 1806 Aboriginal arrests recorded at Oenpelli and Jabiru between 1977 and 1981, Aboriginal alleged crimes against the person formed 1.6 per cent of all arrests; behavioural offences accounted for 4.6 per cent; 4.31 per cent were for offences against property; 6.20 per cent liquor and vehicle offences; 13.17 per cent were for possessing liquor on a reserve; and some 69.93 per cent of all arrests were not for offences against the law, but were 'protective custody' cases-a drying out till sober procedure under s.33A of the Police and Police Offences Act. In short, in the uranium province, Aboriginal drinking is a major personal and social problem, not criminal behaviour.