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TAG CLOUD
April 5, 2013
REFORMING YOUTH JUSTICE IN QUEENSLAND
The Queensland state government have announced plans to reform the youth justice system. They are currently seeking feedback and input from stakeholders via submissions or responses to their "Crime Survey". Given the significant interface between substance use and the criminal justice system, it is vital that the opinions and experiences of workers from the youth alcohol and other drug sector are heard in this process.
Find out more at the Department of Justice and Attorney-General's website
Posted in: Research
February 1, 2013
POLICE: 12 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Youth Advocacy Centre has published a new fact sheet on
their website titled 'Police - 12 Facts you need to know".
The fact sheet includes information for young people on their
rights when having contact with police. It includes plain
English answers to questions like "Do police have to show their
ID?" and "What if I am arrested?". The fact sheet will be
very useful to provide to young people who are having contact with
the police. The Youth Advocacy Centre website also contains a
range of other fact sheets which deal with a massive range of legal
issues young people might experience.
Check out "Police: 12 Facts you need to know" here
Posted in: Resources for Young People
November 30, 2012
INDIGENOUS YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM 2010-11
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have published a bulletin looking at the numbers and characteristics of Indigenous young people involved in the juvenile justice system. It's well known that while only around 5% of young Australians are Indigenous, in 2010-11 39% of young people involved with the youth justice system were Indigenous. This figure is a slight reduction on previous years, with the biggest reduction occurring in the rate ratio for those in detention from 28 to 24. The report considers further strategies to address the over-representation of Indigenous young people in the youth justice system in Australia.
Download "Indigenous young people in the juvenile justice system" (1.6MB PDF)
Posted in: Research
November 23, 2012
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have published a research report titled "Children and young people at risk of social exclusion: Links between homelessness, child protection and juvenile justice". The paper attempts to link data from the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP), juvenile justice supervision and child protection notifications and substantiations from Victoria and Tasmania. Unsurprisingly, the authors found that involvement in one of the three sectors increased the likelihood of involvement in another of the sectors - thus highlighting the links between various types of social exclusion. For example, young people with a child protection history were more likely to enter into the juvenile justice system at a young age - with 21% of the cohort entering supervision between the age of 10 - 13.
October 26, 2012
YOUNG WOMEN IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have published a report providing an overview of young women involved in the juvenile justice system. The report looks at demographics, the types of orders young women are on, and types of offences committed. The report demonstrates the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young women in detention, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young women 45 times more likely to be in detention on an average day in 2010-11.
Go to "Girls and Young Women in the Juvenile Justice System"
Posted in: Research
October 12, 2012
YOUTH JUSTICE CONFERENCING: MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN COURT
The New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) have published a report comparing the cost-effectiveness of youth justice conferencing versus attendance at Children's Court. Youth Justice Conferencing is also available in Queensland and involves young people who have committed a crime agreeing to meet with the police, victims and others impacted by their offences, and together the group agrees on a plan which the young person undertakes in order to make up for their offending. While the report was not able to factor in costs associated with non-government organisations attending youth justice conferences and supporting young people in their undertakings, it did find that overall, youth justice conferencing is more cost effective than Children's Court appearances for minor offences.
Download "Youth Justice Conferences versus Children's
Court: A comparison of cost-effectiveness" (428KB PDF)
Posted in: Research
August 17, 2012
JUVENILE JUSTICE IN AUSTRAILA 2010-11
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have released their annual report into juvenile justice in Australia. The report looks at the numbers of young people involved in the youth justice system including those on community-based supervised orders and those in detention. Some concerning statistics are included in the report such as the very high rate of incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. The report also showed very high rates of young people in detention despite not yet being sentenced, with Queensland topping the list with 71% of young people in detention being unsentenced.
Posted in: Research
March 23, 2012
YOUTH JUSTICE CONFERENCING: DOES IT REDUCE RE-OFFENDING?
Youth Justice Conferencing, where young people who have committed crimes are brought face to face with the victims, has been found to be no more effective at reducing re-offending than regular Children's Court processes, according to research from the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR). The researchers tracked a sample of young people who were going through usual court processes, with a group of matched young people engaged in a youth justice conference. The researchers found 65% of the young people who went through the usual court process re-offended within two years, whilst 64% of the conferencing group re-offended during the study period. More research is required to better understand specific elements which may enhance or reduce the effectiveness of these types of alternative justice approaches.
Youth Justice Conferences: Participant profile and conference characteristics (465KB PDF)
Posted in: Research
January 27, 2012
WORKING WITH SIBLING SEXUAL ABUSE
The Australian Institute of Family Studies have published an insightful interview with Helen Kambouridis from Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, about the difficult topic of sibling sexual abuse. The interview covers a range of issues including what leads young people to engage in sexually abusive behaviour, family-based therapies for sibling sexual abuse, and the challenges involved in this type of work. The article provides some useful information for people working with young people who may either be victims or perpetrators of sibling sexual abuse.
Working with sibling sexual abuse
Posted in: Research
October 14, 2011
COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ANNUAL REPORT 2010/11
The Queensland Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian have released their annual report, documenting their activities over the last year. The Commission processed a record 298 750 applications for blue cards, visited and reported on more than 7600 children and young people in out of home care, and dealt with 4699 serious or complex issues relating to the child safety and youth justice systems.
Read more at the Commission for Children and Young People's Website
Posted in: Research
