Two hundred years of colonial paternalism has eroded much of the spiritual and cultural life of Aborigines that preceded European colonization of Australia in the 18th century. The legacy of this history is a current Aboriginal disenchantment with the justice system and massive overrepresentation in that system by Aboriginal people. This overrepresentation of Aborigines in criminal justice processing stems largely from police racism and the absence of social, educational, and political opportunities for Aborigines. Reform efforts that will benefit Aborigines must be based in concepts of self- determination and community-based development. Police practices must change through recruitment of Aborigines as officers and police training in cultural awareness. Further, the criminal justice system should explore the use of "shame and reintegration" as models of sentencing. Efforts should be made to provide community-based sentence options for offenders, with imprisonment being used only as a sanction of last resort. Politically, there should be movement toward greater recognition of Aboriginal customary law, and the government must mount programs that will improve the educational and employment opportunities of Aborigines. 51 references