Page 527 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 21 February 2012
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intervention. In reality, the evidence tells us that the only way to prevent the deed is to address the need. We also know that young people are more likely to be victims than they are offenders. Ultimately, when we read the literature, the message is that prevention is the most cost-effective and successful approach. Prevention demands that we intervene to stop the so-called offending and, in turn, create a better future for young offenders, families and their communities.
When we commit to preventing offending by young people, we need to ensure we have developed a system that rejects these polarisations and engages children and families in voluntary interventions that consider young people as part of the broader culture, who they are and where they fit within their community. The published data for 2007-08 shows that the ACT has the third highest rate per 1,000 young people aged 10 to 17 in detention and the second highest rates of youths under youth justice supervision in the community. The vast majority of them are charges against government procedure and government operation—in other words, for breaches of bail or breaches of good behaviour orders and not for the often sensationalised charges of assault or robbery.
Other Australian states such as Victoria display more successful and lower rates of youth crime and imprisonment, and it is important that we draw from these experiences. Victoria has the lowest rates of youth remand and imprisonment in the country and is a leader in juvenile justice and legislative and practice reforms. The recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report again shows that only 22 per cent of young people in detention in Victoria are on remand. Victoria appears to be leading the way in finding community alternatives for young people that may otherwise be in unsentenced detention.
The Victorian youth justice system encourages greater judicial accountability and provides programs to support defendants at risk of being remanded in custody. Victoria has implemented several programs to support and aid young offenders to prevent them from becoming imprisoned. These programs include the court integrated services program designed to ensure support and services to defendants and make communities safer by addressing the underlying problems and associated criminal behaviour. These programs have had huge social benefits and are cost effective. For example, the court integrated services program has projected cost savings of $4.46 million from the criminal justice system, money which could then be better spent on strengthening their community.
In developing a diversion prevention system it is important to understand that one approach will not capture all and that a range of services needs to be offered to have the biggest impact. A lack of accommodation is one of the most significant obstacles to young people being granted bail. An after-hours bail support service has recently been introduced to the ACT. While a welcome addition, it must be noted that the service does not in fact offer young people any more supported accommodation beds and does not address the onerous conditions of bail.
In most jurisdictions if accommodation is not available the young person will be remanded in custody. In Victoria, however, lack of accommodation does not provide grounds for refusing bail. During office hours the Department of Human Services
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