Our Opinion
Youth justice ‘crack down’: It takes a village
The Palaszczuk Government has announced “tough new action to target repeat youth offenders”. Measures to be implemented as described within the Government’s media release ‘Tough new action to target repeat youth offenders’ include:
- use of electronic monitoring devices (GPS trackers) for recidivist high risk offenders aged 16 and 17
- creation of a presumption against bail for youth offenders arrested for committing further serious indictable offences (such as breaking and entering, serious sexual assault and armed robbery) while on bail
- seeking assurances from parents and guardians that bail conditions will be complied with before an alleged offender is released, and
- strengthening of existing bail laws to provide further guidance to courts.
An additional media statement ‘Youth Justice reforms to crack down on recidivist offenders in Cairns‘ focused specifically on youth justice reforms to “crack down on recidivist offenders in Cairns” has also been released.
There will be some who count the Government’s announcements as a victory, there are others who will remain unappeased and view the measures as not ‘tough enough’, and there will be some who are disappointed and lamenting of the changes as out-of-step with youth justice practices elsewhere in Australia and the world. Irrespective of whichever camp you belong to, there is no-one – no-one at all – who can be proud and pleased about these outcomes and the events that have led to these decisions being made.
Four lives lost! The senseless deaths of Kate Leadbetter, Matt Field and their unborn baby, Miles defy description. There are no words that can adequately express the extent of this tragedy and our community’s sympathy for the loss being experienced by their families and loved ones. The death of Jennifer Board in Townsville, the innocent victim of alleged vigilantism, was equally senseless and has prompted immeasurable grief.
Nothing other than demands by the community for answers to why these deaths occurred and what must be done to prevent further deaths in the future was to be expected. As much as many crave justice and retribution for the pain that has been caused, the answers to these questions cannot be found in punishment alone, if at all. The respect that must be shown in honouring the legacy of Jennifer Board, Kate Leadbetter, Matt Fields and their baby, Miles demands much more.
Within recent media commentary, there has been acknowledgement that around 10% of all youth offenders account for 48% of all youth crime. Little has been stated however about these facts:
- In recent years, less than 1% of Queensland children have committed offences proven in a court
- Across Queensland, there has been a 30.8% decrease over the past decade in the number of children, aged 10 to 17 years, with a proven offence
- New initiatives such as, to name just a few, the Transition 2 Success Program, Project Booyah, Restorative Justice and Specialist Multi-Agency Response Teams arising out recommendations of the Report on Youth Justice produced by Bob Atkinson in 2018 have led to a 23% decrease in the number of young offenders since March 2020.
These figures do not discount the concerns that should be held about the 10% of young people who commit 48% of the offences. It seems that these programs are not, as yet, fully hitting the mark for this group. They do however put paid to the notion that youth crime across the board is escalating and they also provide some indication of what is working well in curbing youth crime that can be built upon and extended. In many respects, it is foolish to assume that youth justice programs operating alone will be able to fully turn the tide for some young people. By the time these programs kick in, the horse will usually have already bolted.
Some commentators have suggested that child protection services must also carry a level of responsibility given that most of these young people will have also had dealings with these services or been in the care of the State. There is some truth to this. But so too is there the truth that most of these young people have not been engaged in education for many years and have few prospects for employment, both of which are major precursors to offending. So too is there a truth that many are struggling with mental health concerns, disabilities or substance use issues with little or no access to appropriate support services. So too is there a truth that many have been the victims of offences far greater in number and seriousness than any offences they themselves have committed. So too is there a truth that few have trustworthy adults in their lives they can call on for help. So too is there a truth that most come from families who are themselves struggling with the scourge of poverty, homelessness, domestic and family violence, and in many instances, racial intolerance and discrimination. So too is there a truth that vigilantism, branding of young people as ‘kid criminals’ in newspaper headlines and other messages from communities that young people are not wanted and do not belong in their midst serve only to perpetuate and exacerbate anti-social behaviour.
If we are truly serious about getting tough on youth crime, it will be about getting tough on the causes of youth crime. It will be about facing up to all of the truths listed above and dealing with each and every one of them.
Speaking of truths, there is an overarching one reflected in the adage that it takes a village to raise a child. It follows that it also takes a village to breed a criminal. Put simply, if we are to stop youth crime, our village needs to improve.
My hope is that the many youth justice workers, police officers, legal advocates and staff from non-government agencies who work tirelessly to divert young people from proceeding on a trajectory into the adult criminal justice system and who skilfully provide them with the opportunities to rehabilitate and reintegrate with their communities are not de-moralised by the events of recent weeks. The truth is that each and every day you are making a difference in the lives of many young people and, in doing so, you are instrumental in bringing about the long-term protection of our community from crime. Of course, you can do better. We can all do better. But for now, please know that your work is important and appreciated.
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Thanks Lindsay I agree with your analysis here – if we continue to demonise young people in the media it also allows a more punitive approach. What has happened in terms of the deaths of innocent people and an unborn baby is incredibly tragic and we must do better to prevent such things happening. But as others have said and I support, we must invest in prevention meaningfully and sustainably.
Lindsay – thank you again for your thoughts and leadership in helping us to summon coherent and ordered thought from heart break; and helping us to break free of the constant tirade we hear from media to follow the evidence base in thinking through what we know works in helping and supporting young people and their families. And for reminding us that there are so many committed and skilled people who continue to work hard in building effective partnerships with each other and relationships with young people and their families to continue to engage in this complex and demanding work. In times when we want to turn away and blame … it’s so important to turn towards and continue!
Thank you, another great opinion piece, absolutely agree with your comments in relation to taking a village to breed a criminal, until we start to truly and bravely invest in prevention and early intervention, we will continue to see youth crime on the rise! The small percentage of young people doing the highest percentage of crime are also our most vulnerable and traumatised young people, the young people who have often been harmed within their family and within systems. I also appreciate your acknowledgement of those currently working to divert young people from the criminal justice system – it can sadly be common to see parallel processes whereby staff are also harmed by the systems they work within, even more so when they are not recognised for the amazing work that they do!
As your colleagues in the Every Child alliance, we say good on you PeakCare. Community leaders must reassure the public that: “If we are truly serious about getting tough on youth crime, it will be about getting tough on the causes of youth crime” …stack support around the repeat offenders (mentors, jobs, skills, housing) rather than whack an EM bracelet on their ankles.
Well said, Lindsay. I understand that it is hard for those grieving and those personally impacted by crime to look beyond a need for justice in the way of punishment for wrong-doing. There have been terrible crimes committed with devastating outcomes. As the village raising our next generations, though, we need to find a way to look beyond just punitive measures. Penalty, as a consequence for actions taken, is an important part of our criminal justice system. But it is just one part.
Just imagine if we could do things better, as a village as you put it, to further reduce crime. We need to not get caught up in the inaccurate media reports of “spiralling youth crime” and “crime out of control”. It’s just not true. That’s not to say the impacts of crime aren’t felt hard. No one and nothing can make up for the tragic loss of innocent lives.
As you have said, there can be so much more behind the actions of some young people who offend. Labelling them as ‘worthless’, ‘criminal’, or even just ‘naughty’ isn’t going to help change what needs to change. Let’s all of us, as this village, work together to make a difference.
Great analysis Lindsay and I couldn’t agree with you more. Instead of jumping to judgements and quick fixes, the government, community and the media need to ask some critical questions in order to understand why young people may start engaging in these behaviours. We can’t even begin to address the problem unless we start to look at the causes and punitive approaches won’t fix the underlying issues of disadvantage, lack of support, disengagement from education and unemployment. All young people need love, care and support in order to grow and thrive. Unfortunately for many of these young offenders, they don’t have these supports so critical to a sense of worth and belonging in the community. A tracking device is not going to resolve any of these issues and will only serve to further stigmatise and isolate these young people that are in need of support.
As an organisation that works with young people every day, Mercy Community supports that more action is needed around youth crime and holding young offenders accountable for their actions—but not through the methods proposed.
Like our sector colleagues we believe that early intervention is where the focus should be.
Evidence tells us that locking up young people does not only fail to deliver good outcomes—it has the potential to make the situation worse. We don’t want to see traumatised children pushed further to the margins of society and become part of cycle that has them end up in adult prisons.
A wider lens shows a whole pathway of disadvantage and suffering that contributes to a young person committing a crime. Many young people experience generational trauma on top of poverty and discrimination.
Social inequality, vulnerability and the disproportionate over representation of our First Nation young people in the justice system are issues that all need to be addressed. This needs to be done through working with our partners in community controlled organisations who have the best ability to look at the specific solutions needed for their community.