Criminology Research Council grant ; (24/86)
This report is the result of a study of Aboriginal/Criminal Justice interaction in two East Kimberley townships, namely Kununurra and Halls Creek. Research was conducted in two stages during 1987 and methodology combines qualitative data (in the form of unstructured interviews) with analysis of records of Courts of Petty Sessions and Children's Courts over a period of ten years: 1977 to 1987. In this way it is possible to monitor the impact of massive resource development and large scale in-migration of white labour on the lives of many East Kimberley Aboriginal people. The study concludes that, as a result of the Europeanisation of the East Kimberley, Aborigines have been rendered powerless and dependent. The majority of Aborigines in Kununurra and Halls Creek are locked into a downward socio-economic and politico-legal spiral. In both towns dependency on welfare has increased, social alienation has intensified and behavioural problems have manifested themselves and are reflected in rising crime rates, particularly those committed by juveniles. In the East Kimberley this situation is exacerbated when police in fulfilling their role as 'gate-keepers' of the criminal justice system, and in performing the task of 'social hygiene', codify their actions and reactions to Aboriginal crime. The result is that Aborigines and police may be seen to conjoin and create a deviancy amplification spiral. The study, and the resultant report, aims to use the data gathered and analysed as a baseline of information for the purpose of future monitoring. In addition it is intended to inform East Kimberley Aborigines of both the historical and contemporary statistics in order to en- courage and empower them to develop their own strategies for dealing with criminal justice issues within the existing framework.