❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks data on victim demographics, service provision, funding, and evaluation of the Victim-offender Mediation Unit (VMU), particularly regarding Indigenous Australians and regional services. The response reveals data gaps and service expansions.
AnsweredQoN 5911Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How many victims of crime were there during 2007 who are -
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; and
(b) neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
(2) How many victims who used the services of the Unit during 2007 are -
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; and
(b) neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
(3) Of the victims who got reparation through the Unit during 2007, how many are -
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; and
(b) neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
(4) Of the victims who got protective conditions through the Unit during 2007, how many are:
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; and
(b) neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
(5) What is the extent of the Unit’s services outside Perth in 2008 in terms of -
(a) location;
(b) nature of services offered; and
(c) special provision for dealing with victims and offenders involved in the sex abuse prosecutions currently occurring in the Kimberley region?
(6) How much funding was provided to the Unit in 2006/2007?
(7) How much funding is being provided to the Unit in 2007/2008?
(8) What evaluation has occurred in respect of the Unit’s accessibility and services to -
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander victims;
(b) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander offenders;
(c) victims who are neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander; and
(d) offenders who are neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; and
(b) neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
(2) How many victims who used the services of the Unit during 2007 are -
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; and
(b) neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
(3) Of the victims who got reparation through the Unit during 2007, how many are -
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; and
(b) neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
(4) Of the victims who got protective conditions through the Unit during 2007, how many are:
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; and
(b) neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
(5) What is the extent of the Unit’s services outside Perth in 2008 in terms of -
(a) location;
(b) nature of services offered; and
(c) special provision for dealing with victims and offenders involved in the sex abuse prosecutions currently occurring in the Kimberley region?
(6) How much funding was provided to the Unit in 2006/2007?
(7) How much funding is being provided to the Unit in 2007/2008?
(8) What evaluation has occurred in respect of the Unit’s accessibility and services to -
(a) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander victims;
(b) Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander offenders;
(c) victims who are neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander; and
(d) offenders who are neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
18 March 2008
Responded by
Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Corrective Services
Response time
28 days
(1a-b) In relation to questions 1, 2, 3 and 4, due to the nature of the victim-offender mediation process and multiple referral sources, there is no provision for the standardised collection of data on the ethnicity of victims. It is therefore not possible to provide an accurate response in relation to the number of Aboriginal, non-Aboriginal, or Torres Strait Islander victims.
(2) Please refer to response (1a-b)
(2a) There is no data available to enable a response to this question.
(2b) There is no data available to enable a response to this question.
(3) Please refer to response (1a-b)
(3a-b) In 2007 a total of 1,471 victims participated in the reparation process through the Victim-offender Mediation Unit. There is no available data pertaining to ethnicity.
(4) Please refer to response (1a-b)
(4a-b) In 2007 a total of 4,313 victims received protective conditions through the Victim-offender Mediation Unit. There is no available data pertaining to ethnicity.
(5a) The Victim-offender Mediation Unit has Mediation Officers based in Kununurra, Broome, Geraldton (also attends Mullewa Court), Kalgoorlie, Bunbury, Busselton, and Port Hedland. The Mediation Officer based at Port Hedland also provides victim-offender mediation services to Karratha, Newman and Roebourne. Mediation services can be accessed by victims in outlying regions by visiting the towns at which the Mediation Officers are based. In addition, Mediation Officers provide services to outlying communities either by telephone or by visiting communities where possible.
(5b) The Mediation Officers based outside of the Perth metropolitan area provide the full extent of victim-offender mediation services to adults and juveniles. Services include reparative, protective, and therapeutic mediation along with providing victim information and recommendations to Courts and Releasing Authorities. Mediation Officers also assist victims by providing information regarding supports that are available to victims, such as the Victim Notification Register and Victim Support Services.
(5c) As at 11 March 2008, the Victim-offender Mediation Unit had not received any referrals relating to the sex abuse prosecutions in the Kimberley region.
(6) The budget allocation for the Victim Mediation Unit for the 2006 - 2007 financial year was $2,192,016.
(7) The budget allocation for the Victim Mediation Unit for the 2007 - 2008 financial year is $2,807,691.
(8a-d) There have been two evaluations of the Justice Mediation Program, a Court-based Reparative service, since its commencement in May 2004. Both evaluations examined services for both victims and offenders across the entire client group.
In 2004 the Victim-offender Mediation Unit commenced service delivery to regional areas, including the Pilbara, Eastern Goldfields and Kimberley regions offering more accessible services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. In addition, a set of culturally specific VMU brochures have been designed and written by Aboriginal people, explaining the range of services offered by VMU in an attempt to encourage the use of VMU services by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims and offenders.
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(2) Please refer to response (1a-b)
(2a) There is no data available to enable a response to this question.
(2b) There is no data available to enable a response to this question.
(3) Please refer to response (1a-b)
(3a-b) In 2007 a total of 1,471 victims participated in the reparation process through the Victim-offender Mediation Unit. There is no available data pertaining to ethnicity.
(4) Please refer to response (1a-b)
(4a-b) In 2007 a total of 4,313 victims received protective conditions through the Victim-offender Mediation Unit. There is no available data pertaining to ethnicity.
(5a) The Victim-offender Mediation Unit has Mediation Officers based in Kununurra, Broome, Geraldton (also attends Mullewa Court), Kalgoorlie, Bunbury, Busselton, and Port Hedland. The Mediation Officer based at Port Hedland also provides victim-offender mediation services to Karratha, Newman and Roebourne. Mediation services can be accessed by victims in outlying regions by visiting the towns at which the Mediation Officers are based. In addition, Mediation Officers provide services to outlying communities either by telephone or by visiting communities where possible.
(5b) The Mediation Officers based outside of the Perth metropolitan area provide the full extent of victim-offender mediation services to adults and juveniles. Services include reparative, protective, and therapeutic mediation along with providing victim information and recommendations to Courts and Releasing Authorities. Mediation Officers also assist victims by providing information regarding supports that are available to victims, such as the Victim Notification Register and Victim Support Services.
(5c) As at 11 March 2008, the Victim-offender Mediation Unit had not received any referrals relating to the sex abuse prosecutions in the Kimberley region.
(6) The budget allocation for the Victim Mediation Unit for the 2006 - 2007 financial year was $2,192,016.
(7) The budget allocation for the Victim Mediation Unit for the 2007 - 2008 financial year is $2,807,691.
(8a-d) There have been two evaluations of the Justice Mediation Program, a Court-based Reparative service, since its commencement in May 2004. Both evaluations examined services for both victims and offenders across the entire client group.
In 2004 the Victim-offender Mediation Unit commenced service delivery to regional areas, including the Pilbara, Eastern Goldfields and Kimberley regions offering more accessible services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. In addition, a set of culturally specific VMU brochures have been designed and written by Aboriginal people, explaining the range of services offered by VMU in an attempt to encourage the use of VMU services by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims and offenders.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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