Increasing Opportunities for Aboriginal Ex-offenders by Addressing Criminal Record Discrimination
Stan Winford
Centre for Innovative Justice, RMIT University
Associate Director, Research, Innovation and Reform
Bronwyn Naylor
RMIT University
Professor
Christa Momot
Woor Dungin
Community Development Manager
Wenzel Carter
Woor Dungin
Aboriginal Cultural Support Officer
Naomi Murphy
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Services
Client Services Manager
Woor Dungin is an Aboriginal run organisation. It established the Criminal Record Discrimination Project (CRPD) to improve justice and employment outcomes for Aboriginal people with criminal histories. The Project led to new laws being made in Victoria to remove criminal records given to members of the Stolen Generation when they were removed from their families, an apology from the Parliament, and won a national philanthropy prize. Woor Dungin is continuing to pursue further criminal record and anti-discrimination reform through the Aboriginal Justice Agreement framework in Victoria, and has commenced the Aboriginal Ex-Offender Employment (AEOEP) project. The AEOEP will work to provide information and training to Aboriginal ex-offenders applying for employment in order to reduce the impact of criminal history-related stigma and discrimination. It will also aim to educate employers about making fair and appropriate decisions about employing Aboriginal ex-offenders, based on research establishing best practice nationally and internationally in this context. Project partners also plan to develop an information and resource hub linked to a social enterprise employment service to support employers who want to employ Aboriginal ex-offenders, and support and mentor Aboriginal ex-offenders who are seeking employment. Members of the project team will speak about their work with Woor Dungin on these projects and their own experience as Aboriginal people overcoming barriers to employment as a result of past involvement with the justice system.