Diversion program helps Pasifika youth escape cycle of crime

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 22:02 · Archive

A culturally informed program is helping Pasifika young people avoid jail by drawing on the experiences of former prisoners.

A culturally informed diversion program is supporting Pasifika youth in Australia to avoid crime and prison. The program draws on the experiences of former prisoners who have turned their lives around.

A 26-year-old Samoan-Australian man called Chris, who was released from jail in January, has benefited from the initiative. He spent over two years in his latest prison stint and has accumulated convictions ranging from armed robbery to grievous bodily harm since his first offence at age 13. Since his release, he has adopted a mantra of staying on the 'right path' with the program's support. He says reconnecting with his culture has humbled him and that the program helped him secure housing and provided advice that led him away from crime. He wants a different life for his four-year-old son.

Statistics show the disparity in incarceration rates. People of Pasifika heritage make up roughly 1.6 per cent of New South Wales's population but account for approximately 3.5 per cent of the adult prison population and a higher proportion in some juvenile centres. Mount Druitt, a western Sydney suburb where Chris grew up, is home to thousands of Pasifika residents and has seen youth becoming more brazen in crime and gang culture.

How it is being reported

• 'Right path': Diverting Pasifika youth away from jailA culturally informed diversion program dedicated to supporting Pasifika youth from ending up in a life of crime is drawing on experiences of ex-prisoners.Perth Now · 16 Oct, 21:32
• 'Right path': Diverting Pasifika youth away from jailA culturally informed diversion program dedicated to supporting Pasifika youth from ending up in a life of crime is drawing on experiences of ex-prisoners.The West Australian · 16 Oct, 21:32

In this story: Chris · Mount Druitt · New South Wales · Sydney

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