Lismore’s Adam Guise wants young children out of custody

Lismore’s Adam Guise argues jails are no place for children, so he’s pushing for a law change. See what the NSW Greens plan to do.

The Greens have today announced plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility in NSW to 14 years of age with no one under the age of 16 eligible for a custodial sentence.

The Greens have today announced plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility in NSW to 14 years of age and stop kids under 16 going to jail.

The current age of criminal responsibility in NSW is 10, with the state government spending $250 million on youth justice annually.

Naarah Rodwell, CEO of CASPA Services, a leading child welfare and care service provider which operates across NSW, Qld and the NT, said the children presenting to the justice system mostly come from traumatic backgrounds.

CASPA Services Ltd chief executive Naarah Rodwell.

“These children are vulnerable and should be supported to break out of their disadvantaged circumstances. Detention will only perpetuate the cycle as the evidence already shows,” Ms Rodwell said.

“(They are) often exposed to environments of domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and homelessness from very early ages.”

Ms Rodwell said it’s a daily occurrence at CASPA to see kids go through the juvenile justice system.

The NSW government currently spends $713,940 per child incarcerated every year.

Greens MP Sue Higginson said children are developmentally incapable of criminal responsibility and the age should be raised.

“Primary school aged children should not be in prison,” she said.

“All evidence shows that children come in contact with the criminal justice system because of challenging life circumstances such as complex trauma, poverty, neglect and unaddressed mental or physical health problems.

Greens MP Sue Higginson and Greens candidate for Lismore Adam Guise outside Lismore Police station.

“We cannot continue to punish and imprison children because of the disadvantage they have suffered.”

Included in the policy is the resourcing and development of a transition plan to release all children under 16 years of age from prison and ensure young people impacted by the criminal system get the support they need to heal.

“Putting kids in jails exposes them to more trauma,” Greens candidate for Lismore, Adam Guise, said.

“It leads to greater mental health illness, it disrupts their lives, and it can lead to a lifetime of crime.

“After our community going through so much trauma, from disasters and floods, it's understandable that kids and families are suffering right now. And rather than jailing them, we need to be caring for them.”

The Greens have today announced plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility in NSW to 14 years of age with no one under the age of 16 eligible for a custodial sentence. Pictured (from left) Aboriginal Legal Services solicitor Binnie O’Dwyer, CASPA Services CEO Naarah Rodwell, Greens candidate for Lismore Adam Guise, CASPA Services’ Nicolas Harrison and Greens MP Sue Higginson.

There are also plans to redesign the approach to youth detention for Indigenous children.

“More than half of the youth prison population in NSW are First Nations youth,” Mr Guise said.

“We need a culturally appropriate response to youth offending that focuses on restoration and rehabilitation, not one that continues to take First Nations children from their families and communities and send them down a path of compounding trauma they may never be able to return from.”