Elder's meeting with former state attorney-general to discuss justice reform 'very positive'

Lenny Clark met with Rob Hulls this month to discuss his plans for the Shara Clarke Aboriginal Cultural and Education Centre.

Mr Clarke wants to honour his daughter's memory by establishing an alternative to jail.

Uncle Clarke said the meeting with Mr Hulls to, who now runs the RMIT Centre for Innovative Justice, was extremely productive.

"It was very, very positive," Mr Clarke said.

"We are looking at ways and means of complementing and supporting the existing Koori court system."

Mr Clarke said the court system was often a revolving door for people who were suffering from mental health issues due to trauma in early life.

"We would estimate 80 per cent of our people who have gone through court have some sort of mental disability - that's why they are there," Uncle Clarke said.

"Often they've been in foster care or institutions and they haven't had the support they need from their families."

Uncle Clarke said he did not believe there were enough supports in place to help people who were experiencing trauma or mental health issues to stay out of jail.

Additionally, there was a lack of support to help people stay out of trouble after they were released from jail.

"We have to look at alternatives to jail," Uncle Clarke said.

"We're not only doing it for Aboriginals, we're doing it for all Australians because the system isn't working."

Uncle Clarke said the Yoorrook Justice Commission had found many Indigenous children were destined to be jailed before they were born.

Shara Clarke, who died in 2015 aged 37, left behind three children then aged from 15 years to 20 months.

Uncle Clark said she had dealings with the justice system and other government agencies.

He said before his daughter's death she had been injured while in a metropolitan police station.

He said she was then released back into the community at 3am and forced to walk five hours until she reached her home.

"Every car that came along she concealed herself with her pram and her two children in doorways because she believed it was the police coming to get her again," he said.

"If we don't have a voice, this is what can happen."