Recently ATSILS Communication and Sector Engagement Team met had met with Justin Giblett Coordinator of Kutta Mulla Gorinna (KMG), a deadly alternative learning program supporting and empowering our young ones to stay in contact with education and chase their dreams.

The program started in 2015 and it’s supportive and flexible approach to learning has attracted a number of disengaged/high risk youth back to an education pathway, diverted them away from the justice system and is achieving great attendance rates of between 80-90%. Despite its success however, the program has faced a constant battle in attracting regular funding and is in danger of closing its doors.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are significantly over-represented in the criminal justice system and are 24x more likely than non-indigenous juveniles to be in detention. As the QLD Government & other governments around the nation look to justice/social reinvestment solutions to address this issue, it is critical they invest and support programs like KMG already making a difference in their local community.

Justice Reinvestment is a holistic approach that see funds diverted away from prisons and towards programs that address disadvantage and the root causes of crime. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, these programs must be locally designed and community led to be effective.

KMG as a great example of a community designed and led initiative that can steer our youth away from the criminal justice system through education and create effective pathways to future employment for vulnerable kids.

Follow and support their great work here:

View Article: ‘At-risk’ kids could lose their final school’
https://www.cqnews.com.au/news/at-risk-kids-could-lose-their-final-school/3174236/#more-replies