Understanding crime and justice in Torres Strait Islander communities

Understanding crime and justice in Torres Strait Islander communities Book Section

The Palgrave Handbook of Criminology and the Global South

  • Author(s): Scott, John, Morton, James
  • Secondary Author(s): Carrington, K, Hogg, R, Scott, J, Sozzo, M
  • Published: 2018
  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
  • ISBN: 978-3-319-65021-0

Abstract: Questions of race and crime in Australia largely revolve around indigenous peoples. Australian criminologists cannot escape racial terminology which divides the population into groupings and largely ignores the complex ways in which Indigenous justice is experienced and practiced in diverse contexts. While there has been much research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) crime and justice, previous research draws exclusively on mainland peoples who are culturally distinct from Torres Strait Islander peoples. Further, as a distinct setting, the Torres Strait Islands offer a unique opportunity to observe how justice is practiced in remote contexts. Drawing on statistical data from the Torres Strait Region, we argue that relatively low crime rates in the region may be linked to numerous indicators of social capital in the region.

Cite this document

Suggested Citation
Scott, John, Morton, James, 2018, Understanding crime and justice in Torres Strait Islander communities, Book Section, viewed 27 April 2025, https://www.nintione.com.au/?p=11453.

Endnote Mendeley Zotero Export Google Scholar

Share this page

Search again