Neighbourhood Justice Centre

What Neighbourhood Justice Centre does

The Neighbourhood Justice Centre (NJC) is Australia's first community justice centre, established under the Courts Legislation (Neighbourhood Justice Centre) Act 2006 and operated by the State of Victoria as part of the Magistrates' Courts of Victoria. It is headquartered at 241 Wellington Street, Collingwood, and operates a problem-solving court model grounded in therapeutic jurisprudence and restorative justice. The centre runs a multi-jurisdictional court sitting as Magistrates' Court, Children's Court (criminal division) and Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal, finalising approximately 3,500-4,000 matters per year. It serves residents of the City of Yarra municipality, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with connections to the area, and people experiencing homelessness alleged to have committed an offence in the municipality.

NJC's core offering is an integrated one-stop-shop model that co-locates the court with approximately 16 independent community service agencies — including Victoria Legal Aid, Fitzroy Legal Service, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, MiCare New Hope Foundation, Carlton/Fitzroy Financial Counselling Service and Community Corrections — providing wraparound support in housing, addiction, mental health, family safety, financial counselling and refugee settlement. Digital innovations include Australia's first online Family Violence Intervention Order (FVIO) application (awarded a 2022 Silver Anthem Award and recommended for statewide rollout by the Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2016), the MyCase SMS-based court navigation system developed with Portable Studios, and an interactive virtual tour. Supplementary programs include the Peacemaking Service (restorative circles, conferencing, conflict coaching), Restorative Justice Service, Peacemaking for Schools, Aboriginal Hearing Day and the Urban Campfire art program.

NJC is fully funded by the State of Victoria and provides all services free of charge. Its go-to-market is community-led: in-person attendance at the Collingwood site, online hearings via WebEx, monthly public tours via Eventbrite, social media on YouTube/LinkedIn/Facebook, and community engagement events such as the NJC Walk Against Family Violence. The organisation reports 80% Community Correction Order completion versus a ~40.1% state average and 80% engagement with Client Services, with re-offending rates significantly below matched cohorts. NJC is also the world's first International Mentor Community Court, selected by the Center for Justice Innovation in New York.

Name

Neighbourhood Justice Centre

Legal name

Neighbourhood Justice Centre

Website

https://neighbourhoodjustice.vic.gov.au

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Australia's first community justice centre, operated by the State of Victoria in Collingwood, delivering a problem-solving multi-jurisdictional court, restorative peacemaking, and embedded support services to City of Yarra residents, First Nations people, and people experiencing homelessness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Justice Services

NAICS

Courts (92211), Parole Offices and Probation Offices (922150), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Problem-Solving Courts (Drug, Mental Health, Veterans, Family) (BPAIAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Prosecution & District/State Attorney Services (BPAIAFAB), Court Services & Operations (Clerks, Records, Jury, Interpreters) (BPAIAFAH), Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System) (BPAIAFAJ), Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry) (BPAIAFAE)

Keywords

• Community justice services
• Therapeutic jurisprudence court
• Restorative justice programs
• Family violence intervention
• Court navigation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Collingwood

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Funded by the State of Victoria, Australia. The centre operates as a statutory agency within Victoria's court system. Services are provided free to community members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Neighbourhood Justice Centre operates Australia's first community justice centre, running a multi-jurisdictional problem-solving court (Magistrates' Court, Children's Court criminal division, and Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal) alongside approximately 16 embedded specialist community service agencies. It provides free court services, therapeutic and restorative justice programs (including Peacemaking and Restorative Justice), Community Corrections, and digital innovations such as the FVIO Online application and the MyCase court navigation system.

Product overview

The Neighbourhood Justice Centre is Australia's first community justice centre, offering a unified portfolio of justice services under one roof. Its core offerings include a Multi-Jurisdictional Court (Magistrates' Court, Children's Court criminal division, and Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal), the Peacemaking Program for conflict resolution, and Embedded Specialist Support Services (~16-19 independent agencies providing integrated social services). Digital innovations include FVIO Online (Australia's first online Family Violence Intervention Order application), MyCase (court navigation system with real-time SMS notifications), and a Virtual Tour. The centre also hosts the Urban Campfire art program and serves as the world's first International Mentor Community Court for global justice reform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Jurisdictional Court A problem-solving court that sits as the Magistrates' Court, Children's Court (criminal division), and Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal, addressing underlying conditions contributing to offending through therapeutic and restorative justice approaches; finalises approximately 3,500-4,000 cases per year.
• Peacemaking Program A free conflict resolution service using peacemaking circles, community conferencing, assisted negotiation, and conflict coaching for the City of Yarra community, adapted from Red Hook Community Center practices.
• FVIO Online (Family Violence Intervention Order Online Application) Australia's first online Family Violence Intervention Order application, enabling 24/7 application with Common Risk Assessment Framework, safety tips, quick escape feature, and 128-bit SSL security; rolled out to Hamilton, Portland, Ringwood, Sunshine, Warrnambool and Werribee Magistrates' Courts.
• MyCase (Court Navigation System) An opt-in online messaging system that gives people attending court real-time SMS/text updates on the status of their hearing (e.g., waiting for duty lawyer, in court, completed, stood down, no appearance), accessible via phone or email.
• Neighbourhood Justice Officer (NJO) Service The NJO acts as the nexus between the court, services, and clients, screening client needs, facilitating high-level case management, supporting the Problem Solving Process, and liaising with stakeholders and external services.
• Embedded Specialist Support Services (Client Services) An integrated team of around 16 independent community service agencies providing wraparound support including housing, addiction recovery, mediation, mental health care, financial counselling, family safety, men's behaviour change, and refugee services.
• Onsite Correctional Services Community Corrections officers based at the NJC who supervise people serving community-based sentences and people paroled from prison, supporting public safety, rehabilitation, and diversion from re-offending.
• Restorative Justice Service A free, safe, confidential, and voluntary restorative justice service for people affected by crime, including restorative conversations, shuttle communication, face-to-face meetings, and referrals to support services.
• Peacemaking for Schools A free restorative conflict resolution service for schools in the City of Yarra, providing restorative conversations, conflict resolution advice, referrals, and facilitated meetings to help resolve conflict, repair harm, and rebuild relationships.
• Urban Campfire Art Program A community art exhibition program featuring professional artists and community members, hosting two long-running exhibitions per year (each ~six months) that transform the NJC into a welcoming public space.
• NJC Virtual Tour An interactive self-guided virtual tour of the Neighbourhood Justice Centre, accessible via desktop or mobile device, allowing users to experience the centre in virtual reality.
• International Mentor Community Court Program The NJC serves as the world's first International Mentor Community Court, working with communities and justice systems globally to share and promote community justice as part of the Center for Justice Innovation's international network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of NJC clients on Community Correction Orders successfully complete their orders (state average is 40.1%)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Center for Justice Innovation (New York)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected by the Center for Justice Innovation in New York as an International Mentor Community Court. NJC works with communities and justice systems worldwide to share and promote community justice as part of a global network of community justice centres.
• Monash University / Australian Centre for Justice Innovation (ACJI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of peer-to-peer learning modules for Magistrates on problem-solving court practices. Materials include 6 modules with online videos, resource materials and tip sheets.
• MiCare New Hope FoundationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides refugee and migrant support services at NJC, helping newly arrived community members settle in the City of Yarra with housing, employment, education, health services and more.
• Victoria Legal AidcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides duty lawyer service at NJC to help people who do not have their own lawyer. Also provides Pre-Hearing Clinic services on the third Monday of every month.
• Fitzroy Legal ServicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides duty lawyer service at NJC, serving residents of the City of Yarra who need free legal assistance.
• Victorian Aboriginal Legal ServicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides legal support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons attending NJC. First Nations people can choose to engage VALS as their duty lawyer.
• Portable StudioscoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital agency partner that collaborated with NJC to develop MyCase using Agile Project Management Framework and iterative prototyping methodology.
• Court NetworkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVolunteer organisation that provides support to people attending court, offering emotional support and assistance before, during and after court proceedings.
• Carlton/Fitzroy Financial Counselling ServicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides financial counselling services at NJC including debt repayment planning, advocacy, Centrelink debts, fines, and utility assistance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Center for Justice Innovation: New York-based non-profit that operates and supports community courts in the US and selected NJC as the world's first International Mentor Community Court. A strategic ecosystem partner and network convener rather than direct competitor.
• Australian Centre for Justice Innovation (Monash University): Academic partner of NJC that jointly developed Magistrates' peer-to-peer learning modules. Comparable as an enabling knowledge partner in the problem-solving court ecosystem rather than a direct service provider.

Broad incumbents

• Magistrates' Court of Victoria: The parent jurisdiction within which NJC operates. Provides the broader statutory framework and handles the majority of similar matters across Victoria, offering overlapping capability at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Mental Health Court of Victoria: Specialist problem-solving court addressing offending driven by mental illness, sharing NJC's therapeutic jurisprudence foundations and judicial monitoring approach.
• Red Hook Community Justice Center: Brooklyn-based community justice centre, a flagship Center for Justice Innovation project that pioneered the multi-door courthouse model. NJC explicitly adapted peacemaking practices from Red Hook, making it the closest international peer.
• Koori Court (Magistrates' Court of Victoria): Victoria's Indigenous sentencing court, operating under a similar therapeutic/culturally appropriate framework. NJC's Aboriginal Hearing Day and Koori Justice Worker support overlap directly with the Koori Court model.
• Midtown Community Court: Manhattan-based community court operating a problem-solving model with on-site social services and restitution-focused sentencing, comparable to NJC's integrated court-and-support-services architecture.
• Drug Court of Victoria: Specialist Victorian problem-solving court addressing substance-related offending using therapeutic jurisprudence. Closely aligned with NJC's therapeutic court approach and judicial monitoring practices.
• Toronto Community Justice Centre: Canadian community justice centre that consolidates court, social services, and restorative practices under one roof, mirroring NJC's integrated one-stop-shop model.
• Harlem Community Justice Center: Another Center for Justice Innovation community justice centre in New York that pairs a court with on-site social services and problem-solving practices, structurally aligned to NJC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuia7HDiugVf9kbTiRFQ70w
• Facebookfacebook.com/NJCCollingwood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neighbourhood-justice-centre

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Neighbourhood Justice Centre