Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia are imprisoned at some of the highest
rates in the world. Although they make up only a small percentage of Australia’s population, they represent a large proportion of women in prison. Research shows that many Indigenous women are drawn into the criminal justice system during domestic and family violence incidents. This often happens because police identify the wrong person as the aggressor, because women act in self-defence, or because they are charged for breaching protection orders that were originally meant to keep them safe. Many Indigenous scholars and community advocates argue that these patterns cannot be understood simply as individual problems. Instead, they reflect long histories of racial inequality, gendered violence and the ongoing impacts of colonial policies on Indigenous families and communities. Meanwhile, governments in both Australia and the UK promote 'trauma-informed' approaches to justice. However, these approaches often end up being used within systems that remain focused on punishment, supervision and control. In contrast, Indigenous community-led organisations, such as Sisters Inside and the Kunga Stopping Violence Program, offer examples of more supportive and effective ways of responding to harm. Their work focuses on safety, stability, cultural connection and helping women rebuild their lives. This project will investigate how and why Indigenous women become criminalised, and what can be learned from community-led healing initiatives. It will also consider how the structural principles behind these programs could help shape more humane, supportive responses to domesticabuse in the United Kingdom.