The Hon Michelle Rowland MP
Attorney-General
Senator The Hon Malarndirri McCarthy
Minister for Indigenous Australians
Senator for the Northern Territory
Joint media release
The Albanese Labor Government has announced the latest initiative as part of the largest commitment to justice reinvestment ever delivered by the Commonwealth.
Central Australian Youth Link-Up Service (CAYLUS) will deliver Mampu-Maninjaku, a community-led crime prevention, alcohol and drug counselling, and diversion program.
This is the second initiative funded under the Justice Reinvestment in Central Australia Program and was selected following a rigorous assessment process undertaken by an independent panel.
The Mampu-Maninjaku initiative aims to reduce the over-representation of First Nations people in the criminal justice system. It will also target alcohol and drug use issues through a partnership consortium with the Australian Childhood Foundation and the Southern Tanami Kurdiji Indigenous Corporation.
Justice reinvestment is a long-term, community-led approach to preventing crime, improving community safety and reducing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults and children in custody.
The Albanese Government's commitment includes $69 million over 4 years (from 2022-23) to support up to 30 community-led justice reinvestment initiatives under the National Justice Reinvestment Program with ongoing funding of $20 million per year from 2026-27.
In the 2023-24 Budget, the Albanese Government committed an additional $10 million over 4 years to support place-based justice reinvestment partnerships in Central Australia, under the $250 million plan for A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia.
The Albanese Labor Government is committed to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, including the Priority Reforms and achievement of the justice targets (Targets 10 and 11), to reduce First Nations incarceration rates and contact with the criminal justice system.
