Mangrove Court launches in Port Augusta to support Aboriginal youth
A culturally and trauma-informed specialist court designed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in contact with the justice system has officially launched in Port Augusta.
The Mangrove Court provides young people and their families with access to a 4-to-6-month intervention program, addressing underlying causes of offending and helping participants reduce future contact with the justice system. The Court includes Aboriginal Elders and Respected Persons, ensuring proceedings are guided with cultural authority and respect.
The launch of the Mangrove Court is a key initiative under the Port Augusta and Davenport Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, endorsed by the Port Augusta and Davenport Community Alliance in collaboration with the National Indigenous Australians Agency and Department of Human Services, and delivered by the Courts Administration Authority.
The Court was named through a community co-design process, with mangroves symbolising strength, resilience, and interconnectedness — qualities that are central to the program’s approach to supporting young people and their families.
Mangrove Court is co-funded by the Attorney-General’s Department and the Port Augusta and Davenport Community Alliance as part of the broader $12 million State and Federal investment in the Port Augusta and Davenport Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan.
Three local Aboriginal organisations have been contracted to deliver services, including Kornar Winmil Yunti Aboriginal Corporation, Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council and Healthy Dreaming.
About Mangrove Court (3.20 mins)
The Mangrove Court is a culturally safe court for Aboriginal young people and their families at Port Augusta. This Court involves Elders and Respected Persons and is a place that understands culture, family, and community. The Mangrove Court is different to a regular court. It can offer support and help you find a new way forward.
Your time in the Mangrove Court will be a journey. There are different steps along the way, and you don’t walk it alone. Let’s yarn about what this journey looks like, and what you can expect if you’re part of the Mangrove Court.
If you’re interested in the Mangrove Court, have a yarn with your lawyer, the Aboriginal Youth Justice Officer, or the Mangrove Coordinator. They can explain it more and help you figure out if the Mangrove Court is right for you.
To be part of the Mangrove Court, you’ll need to have a yarn with the Mangrove Coordinator and the Aboriginal Youth Justice Officer. This is called an assessment. You can bring anyone you want for support. You can yarn together about your mob, what’s going on for you, the offending, and what might help moving forward.
After the assessment, the Mangrove Coordinator will write a report for the Magistrate and the Elders and Respected Persons. The Magistrate will read it and set a time to decide if you can be part of the Mangrove Court. This is called an acceptance hearing. Your lawyer will be there, along with any support person you choose and the Elders and Respected Persons. The Mangrove Coordinator and Aboriginal Youth Justice Officer will also be there as friendly faces.
Once you’re accepted, you’ll start the Mangrove Court program. You’ll work with a Youth Coach who will yarn with you about your goals, what you want help with and also what the court says is important. They will help with day-to-day things, like going back to school, getting a job, sport, opening a bank account or getting on Centrelink. You’ll catch up with them twice a week while you’re on the program. The Mangrove Coordinator will stay in touch too, catching up with you in the community to check in and see how things are going. Both the Mangrove Coordinator and your youth coach are there to support you and your family on this journey.
While you’re on the program, you’ll be on bail and will come back to court about every 2 to 3 weeks for review meetings. It’s a chance to have a yarn about how things are going and what you need. The Magistrate and Court Elders and Respected Persons will listen to you.
On any journey there are ups and downs and the Mangrove Court will understand this.
The final step is sentencing, where your matters are finalised. The same people who’ve walked the journey with you will be there and know your progress. The Magistrate will think about your time as part of the Mangrove Court when deciding your outcome. You’ll receive a certificate for completing the program — something to take home and be proud of.
If this might be for you, speak to your lawyer, an Aboriginal Youth Justice Officer or an Elder or Respected Person about how you can be part of the Mangrove Court.
For more information, phone 8648 5137 or go to www.courts.sa.gov.au