Justice reinvestment is about using public money smarter, addressing the root causes of crime instead of paying for more prisons and policing.
Since 2021 PRF has invested $53.1 million in justice reinvestment, across 15 partnerships, five jurisdictions and 34 communities.
In May this year we took a look back over our justice reinvestment grants to determine the impact and insights so far. Here’s what we learned:
1. Fewer young people are being imprisoned in the communities we support
We estimate our partners prevented 73 children and young people from going back to detention. That’s three classrooms of kids supported to a better future.
2. Each diversion demonstrates cost-effectiveness when compared to the cost of incarceration
Justice reinvestment is cheaper and more effective at reducing reoffending than youth detention, which costs more than $1 million a year per child.
3. Projects built with community consensus have a stronger chance of engaging with children and young people
Communities know what they need to thrive. Our partnerships show that community-led and designed projects work better.
4. Sector data capability and access to localised data has improved
Measuring impact is key a piece of the justice reinvestment puzzle, and our funding has helped partners understand, communicate and measure what’s happening in their communities and for their young people.
5. Place-based, First Nations-led grant partners are attracting government funding that previously flowed to non-First Nations organisations
There’s more money going to culturally safe, culturally appropriate, community-based initiatives.
6. Government readiness needs to match community readiness
Governments now have a better understanding of what works, but law and order politics still dominate. For justice reinvestment to work long-term, money has to move from courts, police and prisons towards community-led prevention.
7. Justice Reinvestment is a long-term project
Positive impact takes time. Our partners found that it’s not until after the third year that their efforts led to more diversions from the justice system.
