ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the Australian experience related to race and crime. To begin, the chapter reviews the rich history of Australia and its original people, referred to as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This chapter also discusses European efforts and success at colonizing Australia, along with the impact of that colonization. Turning to the current state of affairs in Australia, the chapter reviews demographic information on the population, as well as the state of the Indigenous population. The chapter continues, first with a brief review of Australian crime statistics, followed by a review of the state of the Indigenous population in relation to crime and justice. Here, the primary area of focus is the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the Australian justice system. Within this focus, the chapter discusses the various aspects of the overrepresentation, and the efforts to reduce it.
