This project is multi-faceted but concentrates on issues related to Indigenous social and community factors related to offending and custody. In particular, it examines a perception that exists in Northern Australia that some young men make a conscious choice to commit crime to escape a marginalised and changing society lacking any definable future and to experience a kind of lifestyle not available in the home community. Some social commentators have confusedthis with a substitute initiation ceremony or manhood process. The conclusion of this report is that the perception is false when it purports to suggest that it is a replacement for the traditional initiation process. Additionally, the use of diversion from formal custody programs for juveniles and adults operating in Western Canada and Alaska have been examined.