When magistrate Claire Girotto went to walk around the remote New South Wales town of Walgett with an ABC camera crew, a court officer asked if she wanted police escort.

The town of about 2,000 people in the state's far north-west has, for a long time, had a bad rap for violence — but the former city magistrate was quick to decline the offer.

That's because Magistrate Girotto knows everyone in Walgett, and everyone in Walgett knows her.

Just ask the staff at Cafe 64, a popular lunch hangout near the court complex.

When she arrived for a sandwich last week, Magistrate Girotto hugged one of the employees — Indigenous artist Frank Wright — who proudly showed her some of his paintings in the gallery next door.

"I'll bring the plate back later," she said on her way out

Later in the day local Nancy Thwaites is proud to describe how the Magistrate often goes into her newsagency — that also sells guns, ammunition and food — for a yarn.

The big-city magistrate has immersed herself in the small community, which is beginning to shake off its tough past.

NSW Police Commander Greg Moore (R) said Magistrate Claire Girotto has a good understanding of Walgett's social issues. ( ABC News: Claudia Jambor )

The magistrate has a good relationship with local police and Commander Greg Moore said while Walgett still had its problems, crime rates and other social indicators suggested it had turned a corner.

Police statistics show break-and-enters into dwellings in the town have halved in the past three years, as have the number of juveniles charged with offences.

"Claire understands some of the social issues here and works closely with the police prosecutor and others to come up with holistic outcomes when she's dispensing justice," he said.

"She can be tough too, because there's always a time when you have to open that little bit of the bottom drawer, and I've seen that in Claire because she's no push over."

Aboriginal Legal Service Field officer Gary Trindall said Magistrate Girotto understood the fabric of the community, particularly when it came to young people.

"When I worked with the police years ago there was an old saying that the juveniles used to go away as little criminals and come back as big criminals," he said.

"We respect this Magistrate and once Aboriginal people respect someone, they keep that respect up."

Lightning Ridge is just one area Magistrate Girotto presides over in her court circuit. ( ABC News: John Gunn )

Indigenous circle sentencing part of the job

Magistrate Girotto packed up her city life in 2015 to move west to preside over her court circuit that takes in Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Dubbo, Narromine and Wellington.

Based in Dubbo, she drives long distances between the country courthouses, on lonely outback roads.

The Magistrate did not choose to come this far out west for work, but now she is here, she does not want to leave.

"Every magistrate in New South Wales is required to do at least two years of country service and I was sent here and I enjoy it," she said.

"In Sydney where there are specialised courts I would be doing only criminal and civil work, but here I do family law, children's court, care proceedings, coroners work and civil work.

"There's more diversity and I can't say, 'Give this to someone else to do' because I am the someone else."

Magistrate Girotto didn't choose to work in the central west but says now she's here, she doesn't want to leave. ( ABC News )

Magistrate Girotto likes the more informal pace of a country courtroom, and the solicitors and prosecutors she works with describe her as a "breath of fresh air".

"I've never had much to do with Indigenous people before I came here and it's a very rewarding thing to have been given that privilege," she said.

Walgett's high Indigenous population presents unique sentencing options for the magistrate who is a fan of circle sentencing, which involves Indigenous elders helping decide punishment for an offender who has pleaded guilty and who agrees to "face the circle".

The offender has to explain what was going on when they committed the crime and how they will move forward from it.

"It's a harder process for the offender than hiding behind a lawyer who does all the talking," the Magistrate said.

A Legal Aid lawyer gives advice as part of Outreach Day, a service to give locals free advice they normally don't have access to. ( ABC News: Claudia Jambor )

Walgett has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in NSW, and the Magistrate also deals with affray.

Then there's the driving offences.

"There are a lot of people here picked up not for the way they are driving — but because police know they haven't got a licence," Magistrate Girotto said.

"That doesn't excuse them, but often it's because they haven't got a birth certificate and if they're illiterate they might not know how to get one."

Walgett has no taxis or public transport except for the daily bus to Dubbo. Magistrate Girotto said not being able to drive was "a big problem".

"I usually tell them they need to get their licence to prove to the community they can drive and I compare it to a lawyer representing them in court without a law degree," she said.

No point 'humiliating' people

In Walgett, social deprivation, poverty and violence can still be normalised.

The Magistrate said those things needed to be taken into account when deciding appropriate sentences.

She said at first she was unsure if she would gain the trust of the community but local elders — who she often has morning tea with during a court break — are keen to work with her.

They include Gamilaroi Elder Aunty Fay Green OAM, and Dharriwaa Elders Richard Lake and Virginia Robinson — who was the first Aboriginal law graduate from Monash University.

Indigenous elders often have morning tea with Magistrate Claire Girotto during a court break. ( ABC News: John Gunn )

The Dharriwaa elders have come up with an action plan for the town's young people and have put together a Youth Justice Working group.

But there's more work to be done.

"I walked into this court not knowing what I was walking into," Magistrate Girotto said.

"But I think it's a matter of being honest with people and courageous about what you do.

"I'm punishing people for what they did, not for who they are, and I don't think there is any point humiliating people who have done the wrong thing.

"There is always room for a person to change.

"I don't pretend to understand where people come from, but I try to make them a better person of themselves.

"The best way to get to people is to bring their children into it and say, 'Do you want them to end up like you?'

"They usually don't want that for their kids."

Aboriginal Legal Aid Youth Field Officer Gary Trindall (L) speaks with Magistrate Claire Girotto. ( ABC News: John Gunn )

Magistrate Girotto said she had seen the drought lead to behaviour that often ends up in her court.

"The drought has affected labouring work so a lot of people are now unemployed because they were farm laborers," she said.

"A couple of matters before me recently have involved pressure on farmers who have done things they normally wouldn't do and I've also dealt with mental illness and suicides by farmers not coping."

Walgett has recently had the opening of a new Legal Aid Office and government service providers regularly set up outside court during Legal Outreach days to give locals free advice they normally don't have access to.

A new $6 million PCYC is being built to give the town's young people more to do.

Rehab better than keeping people in jail

Magistrate Girotto would also like drug offenders to have better access to rehabilitation facilities.

"Walgett is probably not big enough to have a rehab centre here, but perhaps one in Dubbo which is just three hours away," she said.

"That's a lot closer than Sydney. A lot of people genuinely want to go into rehab and the beds are few.

"It seems to me the money would be better spent doing that than keeping people in jail."

And it's the people that Magistrate Girotto is passionate about.

"They've got a great sense of humour and they love having a chat," she said.

"They're very respectful. I don't demand that but it's nice.

"What I've come from is very white and this has been an eye opener."