This research was commissioned as part of the Federal Government’s “Breaking the Cycle” initiative which aimed to address the impact of alcohol and drug abuse among Indigenous people living in remote communities, with this specific project focused on reducing incarceration rates. The project was a collaboration between North and West and Remote Health (trading as Medicare Local at the time that the research was conducted) and James Cook University, Townsville. The major aims of the research were to gather original data and develop an evidence based approach to address the high rates of recidivism of people living in the remote communities of Doomadgee and Mornington Island in North-West Queensland.

In addition it was intended that the data from the research would be used to develop a knowledge base to form a systematic case management and intervention framework, for assisting offenders to desist from crime and to successfully reintegrate back to their communities.