Ethical Principles for Vulnerable Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the Criminal Justice System

Abstract

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented and have higher rates of incarceration compared to non-Aboriginal people. They are more vulnerable in terms of being exploited and oppressed when interacting with institutions such as prisons. This chapter identifies several key ethical principles which constitute an Indigenous research paradigm. The paradigm guides researchers when working with and not on Indigenous people. The proposed paradigm is couched in a case study and describes how the key principles were applied in a research study with former prisoners and family members in two remote Aboriginal communities in Northern Australia.