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That was the message Magistrate Sue Duncombe had for Dubbo youths caught up in the criminal justice system while at the official opening of the Youth Koori Court in Dubbo on Friday.
Magistrate Duncombe got emotional as she spoke about the young people who had already changed their lives thanks to the non-conventional way of dealing with offenders.
Dubbo is only the third location in NSW to open a Youth Koori Court.
The Youth Koori Court has the same powers as the Children's Court. However, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who have pleaded guilty to an offence, they are guided by local elders in developing an action and support plan.
It aims to tackle the reasons behind the offending, focusing on ways to strengthen cultural connections, helping the young person stay at school or gain work, attain stable housing, and address any health, drug or alcohol issues.
The young offender has 12 months to complete their action and support plan. They periodically check in to the Youth Koori Court so the magistrate can monitor their progress.
Since the specialised courts were established in Paramatta and Surrey Hills, 160 young people have been through the system.
As Magistrate Duncan explains it, the court "replaces a punishment model with a therapy model of justice".
Speaking at the opening, she shared a story of a 17-year-old who had been in care for most of her life. When she found out she was pregnant she shoplifted items for her baby.
However, with the help of the Youth Koori Court she attended her prenatal appointments, was able to access what she needed for her baby and is now raising that child.
"We all know there was a very different path she could have taken and that child could have been removed," she said.
Acting commander of the police prosecutors command Superintendent Duane Carey also spoke of a young Dubbo boy who was "meeting his milestones" and was "on the pathway to being a real success".
"That undermines why the NSW Police Force supports the Youth Koori courts," he said.
Superintendent Carey said the police also supported any expansion efforts to the court.
Magistrate Duncombe said the Youth Koori Court was "here for the long term".
"The message to young people is when they are ready, we are ready to assist them. We don't talk about failure in the Youth Koori Court, we talk about change," she said.
"We are not the seagulls... making a lot of noise, collecting souvenirs and flying out," she said.
"We are here and we will stay and we will work hard to ensure these young people understand the system can be trusted and they can start to trust and back themselves...," she said.
The $5.8 million will be spent over four years towards the operation of the Youth Koori Court at Dubbo, with ongoing funding of $1.5 million a year.
While it officially opened on Friday, the court has been operating since March.
It will initially sit twice a month.
Attorney General Michael Daley said he hoped the court would help meeting the government's Closing the Gap targets by reducing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in the criminal justice system.
He said he believed the court would be a success in Dubbo.
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