The government has released a blueprint for long-awaited reforms to the youth justice system, prioritising diversion and early intervention over the next decade.
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The Youth Justice Implementation Taskforce, comprising the government and community sectors, has been developing the blueprint since last year.
The document will guide the government’s reforms to the sector for the next decade.
Many of the initiatives in the blueprint are aimed at reducing the chances of young people becoming caught up in the youth justice system, and helping young Canberrans who have already fallen foul of the law.
The taskforce has urged better coordination between the various arms of government, including the justice system, education system, health system, and community services, to quickly identify and divert youths at risk of crime.
It calls for the active recruitment of Indigenous staff in Bimberi and community youth justice services, better restorative justice options, and improved diversionary accommodation.
The blueprint will seek to reverse the rising rates of youth detention in the ACT, which have seen the ACT gain the unenviable record of the third highest rate of youth detention in Australia.
The number of 10 to 17-year-olds in detention rose from 0.29 per 1000 people in 2007 to 0.5 per 1000 people last year.
Increasing rates of recidivism, high proportions of unsentenced detainees, and the significant overrepresentation of Indigenous youths were also cited as major challenges facing the territory’s youth justice system.
The taskforce has recommended the government reform the system through seven coordinated strategies - centred around early intervention, diversion, promoting the involvement of offenders and their families in decision-making, establishing better throughcare to help exiting detainees, and building a ‘‘strong and smart’’ workforce.
The taskforce’s recommendations come after the comprehensive review of the youth justice system by the Human Rights Commission last year.
The government has implemented over half of the more than 200 recommendations made in the commission’s review, while most of the others were still being worked on.
The Greens have welcomed the release of the blueprint, and are currently working through the 56-page document to assess whether it follows the vision set out by the Human Rights Commission.
‘‘I will going through the detail of the Blueprint as soon as possible, to ensure that the Human Rights Commission’s recommendations have been picked up,’’ Greens children and young people spokeswoman Meredith Hunter said.
‘‘My hope is that the Blueprint will lead to better practices and make a big difference to the futures of children and young people who come into contact with our youth justice system.’’
The government has already allocated $5.5 million over four years to help implement the taskforce’s recommendations.
A further $15.3 million was provided for the out-of-home care system, an early intervention measure.
Community Services Minister Joy Burch welcomed the release of the blueprint today, saying it gave the government a ‘‘clear direction’’ to continue to build on previous reforms.
‘‘As the Blueprint sets out, there is still more work to be done, and I am confident that in partnership with the community sector we can continue to improve the outcomes of young people coming into contact with the youth justice system, and prevent others from ever entering the system,’’ she said.
