Koori Youth Crime Prevention Grants evaluation report

The evaluation examined three crime prevention grant programs under the 2018-2023 Aboriginal Justice Agreement, including the Koori Youth Crime Prevention Grants Program (Koori YCPG) which was funded by the Community Crime Prevention Unit and administered by The Koori Justice Unit at the Department of Justice and Community Safety.

The purpose of the evaluation was to understand how well the Koori YCPG program worked for Aboriginal young people in terms of the design and delivery of projects, as well as examining early evidence about their effectiveness in increasing protective factors, and what lessons could be learned around strengthening crime prevention programs for Aboriginal young people in future.

The evaluation used a mixed methods approach of stakeholder interviews, project related information and a literature review.  Some limitations should be acknowledged due to the small size of the projects and ability to assess attribution - it is likely that several factors in the lives of the young people are contributing to the positive changes described in the findings.

Findings included changes in protective factors such as an increased sense of belonging, increased self-esteem and self-identity and increased responsibility for actions, as well as “ripple effects” for family and community around strengthened relationships, as well as participation and strengthened culture. 

Recommendations were made around strengthening crime prevention programs for Aboriginal young people in future by allowing greater flexibility in funding and delivery timeframes providing greater guidance and support to organisations, and tailoring project design towards at-risk young people in different age cohorts.

The evaluation final report was delivered in 2019 and is available for download below.