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'There is no doubt in my mind that every single step of the justice system is discriminatory against Aboriginal people.' Professor Dennis Eggington, the chief executive of the West Australian Aboriginal Legal Service, would know. 'I grew up in a community where violence was an everyday thing. Where the weak and vulnerable were terribly abused,' he says. 'I grew up in a family with lots of violence in it. I was a victim and I was an abuser. It is a terrible cycle to be a part of.'

Rates of imprisonment among Indigenous Australian adults have increased more than 50 per cent since 2000.

In their adult life, Indigenous Australians are 15 times more likely to be imprisoned than non-Indigenous Australians. The statistics are worse among children.

Craig Dow was just 12 years old when he was first incarcerated.

'Pretty much up until I was 32, I've been in and out for a whole range of crimes,' says Mr Dow.

'I became institutionalised and began relying on the system.

'For me, raised in a large family in Gippsland, alcohol was a major issue growing up with family

members.

'Eventually it went on to drugs. That separated a lot of us and it still does today.'

Mr Dow now works with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, supporting individuals after their release from prison.

Northern Territory Senator Nova Peris says Australia spends $800 million a year incarcerating Indigenous Australians, and more should be spent on diversionary programs that keep people out of prison.

'It is an international embarrassment,' says Senator Peris.

In his recent Closing The Gap address, Prime Minister Tony Abbott placed a strong focus on employment and education.

However, Senator Peris says what needs to be addressed immediately is the availability of housing in Indigenous communities.

'How can you talk about getting people a job or getting kids to school when you've got a housing crisis in these remote communities?

'A child can't get a good education when they're having to share a home with 10 to 15 other people.'

Josephine Cashman, a lawyer with experience practicing in remote communities and member of the prime minister's Indigenous Advisory council, says better relationships are needed at a grassroots level between law enforcement and Indigenous Australians.

'The key to handling the lawlessness is for the police and the community to create much better relationships,' she says.

'To do that, you have to attract really good police officers who stay in remote communities and build really good levels of trust, so that people report crimes early and things don't get out of control.'

Professor Eggington agrees, but points to the need for a much larger paradigm shift.

'In the end, the social contract that we as first peoples have with the nation state needs to be fixed,' he says.

'If that was done, then we, as our nation's first people, can get on top of these issues in a very substantial way within a relatively short time.'