Improving Aboriginal adult literacy rates: What potential does the ‘Yes, I Can!’ Adult literacy campaign have for reducing offending and improving interactions with the criminal justice system in NSW Aboriginal communities? Report to the Criminology Research Advisory Council

Improving Aboriginal adult literacy rates: What potential does the ‘Yes, I Can!’ Adult literacy campaign have for reducing offending and improving interactions with the criminal justice system in NSW Aboriginal communities? Report to the Criminology Research Advisory Council Report

• Author(s): Wise, Jenny, Nickson, Ray, Harris, Bridget, Boughton, Bob, Beetson, Jack
• Published: 2018
• Publisher: University of New England

Link to resource Report broken link

Abstract: This research addresses the overarching question: What impact has the Literacy for Life Foundation (LFLF) ‘Yes, I Can!’ adult literacy campaign had on Aboriginal members’ encounters with the criminal justice system in the NSW towns of Bourke and Enngonia? ‘Yes, I Can!’ uses a campaign model to raise the adult literacy rate within a community. It was introduced in Wilcannia in 2012, and extended to Bourke and Enngonia Aboriginal communities in 2013-14, running four different times in Bourke and once in Enngonia. The team identified the following research questions: 1. Has the campaign facilitated improved interactions with officials in the justice system? 2. Has participation in the campaign influenced how community members access legal resources and advocacy? 3. Do informants see any change in the frequency of encounters with the justice system following participation in the campaign? 4. Does participation influence how criminal justice officials respond to individual community members? Overall, the interview results indicate that the ‘Yes, I Can!’ campaign has impacted positively on the communities of Bourke and Enngonia. Interview participants cited a range of social benefits for individuals in the campaign, such as empowerment, increased self-esteem, greater engagement and interaction with both the wider community and also within family units in terms of engaging and promoting the importance of literacy. Greater opportunities for employment and access to services such as health services were also cited as benefits of the campaign.

• Urls: https://web.archive.org/web/20190304104809/http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1819/06-1516-FinalReport.pdf