Backing Bourke: An outback town's bold experiment to save its young people from a life of crime. This famous bush town has one of the worst crime rates in Australia. With startling rates of domestic violence, assault and property crime, too many of Bourke's residents end up in jail. Fed up with losing their young to prison, the indigenous people of Bourke have decided to take a risk on a bold experiment to try and turn their town around. It's based on a groundbreaking American approach called Justice Reinvestment that tries to prevent crime through simple targeted programs. It's been so successful that in places like Texas, the state has actually been closing prisons down. But can this same idea work in outback Australia? Backed by wealthy philanthropists, not government, the community is putting the theory to the test with practical ideas, like offering free driving lessons. It's diverting people from jail time as driving without a license is a chronic problem in the outback. And it's also trying to change attitudes, prompting the men of Bourke to take a long hard look at themselves and stand up as leaders. Two months after the landmark Four Corners program Australia's Shame exposed the scandalous treatment of juvenile offenders, Backing Bourke provides a glimmer of hope for communities around Australia that are struggling to break the cycle of youth crime.

Four Corners is Australia's premier television current affairs program. It has been part of the Australian story since August 1961, exposing scandals, triggering inquiries, firing debate, confronting taboos and interpreting fads, trends and sub-cultures. Its consistently high standards of journalism and film-making have earned international recognition and an array of Walkleys, Logies and other national awards.