Towards an understanding of Indigenous arrest

Abstract

This study examines the correlates of First Nations contact with the criminal justice system. Key risk factors include membership of the stolen generation, psychological distress, and having used illicit drugs and alcohol over the preceding 12 months. The latter increases the marginal risk of arrest by 14 percentage points. The strongest protective factors are completing school, having an income in the top four deciles, having a permanent home, being aged 51 or over and living in a remote area. Completing school is the strongest protective factor, reducing the risk of arrest by eight percentage points. Further research using a longitudinal dataset specifically designed to identify causal effects is required.