Social media campaign uses back-to-school to bring attention to youth detention

Celebrities and organisations have commandeered social media in an effort to raise the age of criminal responsibility.

CELEBRITIES and organisations have commandeered social media in an effort to raise the age of criminal responsibility.

Change the Record chief executive Sophie Trevitt said the campaign asked people to share photos of themselves at 13 years old on their first day of high school.

“We wanted to show children should be in school, not detention, and we have had a great response,” she said.

Aboriginal musician Archie Roach joined the campaign posting a tattered old Polaroid of him on his first day of Year 7.

This is #MeAt13 on my first day of year 7. Children belong in school, not prison. Time to #RaiseTheAge to at least 14 years old. pic.twitter.com/Pk8BgowkoO

— Archie Roach AM (@archieroach) January 31, 2022

“This is #MeAt13 on my first day of Year 7. Children belong in school, not prison. Time to #RaiseTheAge to at least 14 years old,” he said.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has told media the age of criminal responsibility would be lifted to 12 before 2023.

However, Ms Trevitt said the policy drafted at the meetings of attorneys-general in 2021 was largely dismissed by experts.

“They made a commitment to 12 through the royal commission … but the NT (government) has certainly gone in the opposite direction when it comes to selling gold on its promises,” said Ms Trevitt.

“The Northern Territory instead changed the laws to make them some of the most punitive and harsh youth justice laws in the country. Of course, predictably, we’ve seen a spike in the number of young people that are then getting dragged through the criminal legal system.”

The Territory has seen a more than 100 per cent increase in the number of children in detention, of which many are under the age of 14.

The royal commission also called for amendments that restricted children under 14 being sent to detention.

In recent weeks, the Office of Children’s Commission NT condemned the use of Berrimah Prison as a youth detention centre

Originally published as Social media campaign uses back-to-school to bring attention to youth detention