This chapter considers why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people have high levels of contact with juvenile justice agencies. 

Chris Cunneen, Rob White and Kelly Richard, 'Indigenous Young People' in Chris Cunneen, Rob White and Kelly Richard, Juvenile Justice: Youth and Crime in Australia 5th ed (Oxford University Press, 2015)

The law places limits on how police operate. Within those limits, police have a large amount of discretion about how they act. The way police use their discretion shapes people’s experiences with the criminal legal system and has been repeatedly linked to the over-representation of Aboriginal people in custody.

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Chris Cunneen, Rob White and Kelly Richard, 'Indigenous Young People' in Chris Cunneen, Rob White and Kelly Richard, Juvenile Justice: Youth and Crime in Australia 5th ed (Oxford University Press, 2015)

Police discretion