This study addresses the disproportionate incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia by co-designing an Indigenous community-led, culturally responsive prevention framework. Building on three prior studies – a scoping review and two qualitative studies with Elders, community members, and children – the research employed an iterative co-design process grounded in Indigenist and decolonising methodologies.

The resulting framework, Transformative healing and Adungadoo pathways, comprises three interconnected levels: universal outcomes for thriving children, connected families and empowered communities, rights-based systemic reforms, and culturally grounded program elements across the life course. 

Findings highlight the need for holistic, healing-informed and strengths-based approaches that disrupt colonial drivers of child incarceration and promote self-determination. The work offers a practical, community-driven model for justice reinvestment and systemic transformation.

Key points

• Co-design principles value collaboration, capacity building and shared power with community.
• Indigenous and community-led co-design advances equity, justice and self-determination.
• A culturally responsive prevention framework of care interrupts child criminalisation pathways.
• Strengths-based and healing-informed support meets trauma needs across the life course. 
• Community justice reinvestment enables children and families to thrive on Country.