Page 4558 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 18 October 2011
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In the Health Directorate changes have been made to the way we manage under-age drinking, which has resulted in large numbers of children and young people being diverted from the youth justice system into alcohol and drug assessment and counselling. Significantly, families are often involved in alcohol and drug counselling. We know that family-focused early intervention and prevention programs reduce children’s and young persons’ criminal behaviour, interactions with the criminal justice system and the likelihood of developing cyclic offending behaviour.
The implementation of world-class restorative justice practice in the Justice and Community Safety Directorate has been critical to this government’s commitment to diversion over the last six years. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, the circle sentencing court is an outstanding example of one way to divert some of our most at-risk children and young people from deeper immersion in the justice system.
Secondly, in developing the blueprint the task force will need to consider the importance of underpinning the blueprint with a clear mechanism for the inclusion of new Australian and international research about what works for young people at all stages of involvement in the youth justice system. The government is committed to promoting evidence-based practice.
Finally, but not least importantly, the blueprint will reflect on what children and young people, families, staff and other key stakeholders have told us about they want in a quality youth justice system. They have told us what they want through the HRC report as well as the consultation on the diversionary framework and in the change management process at Bimberi.
Through the blueprint we will develop a practical and effective strategic framework to support the implementation of actions designed to improve outcomes and life opportunities for children and young people involved in the youth justice system. The blueprint will build pathways for young people out of the youth justice system and into education, training, paid or unpaid employment and civic engagement.
Finally, the blueprint for youth justice will identify gaps in current provision of service and identify points of leverage for effective improvement across a range of service areas. The government will ensure that the blueprint operates as a living document, which means that the blueprint will be capable of accommodating new evidence about youth policy theory as it emerges.
It also means that the blueprint will be capable of accommodating the consequences of national and local social, economic and civic adjustments that may affect children and young people’s capacity to move through and in and out of the youth justice system. Overall, ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the youth justice system will be a critical component of the blueprint.
The government is committed to ongoing change within the youth justice system to positively impact on children, young people, their families and the broader ACT community. There will no doubt be a number of challenges to negotiate in developing
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