Tjillari Justice came about because founder Deborah Evans, a Stolen Generations survivor from the Gija nation in the East Kimberley area of Western Australia, was fed up hearing about the growing incarceration rate of Aboriginal people. She was frustrated that there didn’t seem to be any improvements even though the findings from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody had been implemented.

Deb’s career has spanned many years working in the education and justice sectors in Queensland and the ACT and she had been recognised for her contribution to the community with a number of awards. Shortly after retiring….

“I had a discussion with my aunt, a wonderful woman, who said to me 4 days after I retired - “Deb, shut-up or put-up! If you are going to whinge about it, do something about it.”

And that’s how Tjillari Justice Aboriginal Corporation came into being.

Established as a not-for-profit, the organisation opened its doors in 2014 with a small $3,000 ACT Microcredit Loan and a big vision: to break the cycle of intergenerational offending by providing support to not only Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander offenders and their families, but the large number of blended families in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding regions with a family member in the justice system.

Tjillari Justice recognises the connection between young offenders and the toxic stress and trauma children experience when they have a parent involved in the justice system. Using a Family Justice Model, Tjillari Justice aims to advocate for the family, helping to break the cycle of intergenerational offending by addressing the developmental, social and emotional needs of children affected by their parent’s incarceration.

Since opening its doors, the organisation has grown in reputation and has seen Deb appointed to the Domestic Violence Prevention Council; a member of the Sentence Administration Board (Parole Board) in the ACT; Ministerial appointments to Education Advisory Committees; and she has served as a member of the Galambany Circle Sentencing Court. 

Tjillari Justice is grateful for the efforts of all the volunteers and supporters who were instrumental in establishing the organisation and who continue to work on community programs.