Description

The Committee received evidence relating to children and young people in juvenile justice centres. This chapter of the Committee’s report covers the legislative framework for young offenders throughout Australia; numbers and background of children and young people in detention; experiences of children and young people prior to detention, including the link between child abuse and juvenile offending; Indigenous youth and children and young people with disabilities in juvenile justice centres; the treatment of children and young people in detention, including submissions describing significant abuse and cruelty in juvenile justice centres; intervention programs, including diversionary, restorative justice and conferencing programs designed to assist in keeping young people out of detention; and evidence on the effectiveness of juvenile conferencing. The chapter concludes with a recommendation that the Commonwealth Government increase its involvement, support and funding for restorative justice programs, to ensure that the coverage of such programs across Australia is wider than at present, and that the Government introduce restorative justice programs that would assist in reducing the high numbers of Indigenous youth in juvenile justice centres.