Life on Track is designed for defendants in the Local Court who require assistance to address their complex needs and reduce their risk of re-offending. DAGJ is committed to assisting these people both to improve the quality of their individual lives and improve community safety.

The service marks a shift in the overall management of re-offenders away from a program-driven model, towards an approach that seeks to understand the needs of the individual and build a response that adequately meets those needs.

Life on Track is one element of the Department’s work towards achieving the goals and targets established by NSW 2021: A plan to make NSW number one. NSW 2021 sets the Government’s 10-year plan for change and establishes the Government’s goal of preventing and reducing the level of re-offending (Goal 17) in NSW.

Life on Track builds on the successes of other court-based programs such as Court Referral of Eligible Defendants into Treatment (CREDIT) and Magistrates Early Referral into Treatment (MERIT) programs. It is a new service that offers person-centred support and case management to defendants.

A person-centred response involves identifying the needs of an individual and building a response that adequately responds to the entirety of a person’s needs.

Life on Track has several objectives:

• to reduce the re-offending rate through person-centred support and intervention
• to improve the efficiency of the justice system by reducing reoffending
• to promote victim and community confidence in the justice system
• to contribute to the quality of decision making in the Local Court by helping put more information about defendants’ needs and rehabilitation efforts before the court.

Life on Track is not a replacement for human service providers. It seeks to identify appropriate services to meet defendants’ needs and facilitate access to these services. In this way, Life on Track will work collaboratively with human service providers to provide appropriate referrals to their services.

Life on Track will be delivered by local non-government organisations (NGOs) in different service sites. This is because the NSW Government recognises the valuable contribution and expertise of the non-government sector, particularly in providing front-line services.

In August 2013, Life on Track started in Bankstown, Kogarah and Sutherland Local Courts and Lismore, Ballina, Casino and Kyogle Local Courts. Mission Australia is the Life on Track provider in these start-up sites.

Select a below link to know more about Life on Track:

How does Life on Track work

Participating in or Referring to Life on Track