Youth Justice in Victoria: report finds system ‘in crisis’
VICTORIA’S young offenders are becoming more violent and increasingly held on remand, as a long-awaited report into the state’s ailing youth justice system is released.
Law & Order
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USING simple language in court and investigating the booming remand population are among 39 recommendations in a long-awaited report on Victoria’s ailing youth justice system.
Victoria’s Parkville and Malmsbury centres have been at the centre of a committee probe following increasing numbers of riots and violent incidents.
The panel heard the system was in crisis with chronic staffing shortages leading to children being held in lockdown for up to 23 hours a day.
However it also was revealed Victoria’s young offenders were becoming more violent and increasingly held on remand.
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The inquiry — held over several months — revealed a damning view of the system with Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass and Commissioner for Children and Young People Liana Buchanan revealing serious flaws with the system and deep concerns staff and residents were at risk.
Committee chair Margaret Fitzherbert said the report brought serious hidden issues to the surface.
“We now see young offenders whose first contact with youth justice is a serious or violent criminal act,’’ she said
“This is different to the past, when a young person’s first offence was often relatively minor, such as shoplifting, but over time may have developed into more serious or possibly violent offending.
“This report, and its 33 findings and 39 recommendations, reflect problems across Victoria’s youth justice system: from crime prevention, through to delays in the Children’s Court, staffing problems within youth justice centres and, finally, what happens when young people are released from detention.”
The government is expected to consider the proposed fixes in the coming months.
These include research into emerging child crime trends, better resourcing for Victoria Police’s youth officers and better drug and alcohol services.
Also, the report recommended with streamlined court processes and making the system easier for young people to navigate and understand.
The final report was originally due in August 2017, but was delayed into the new year because evidence requested from the justice and health departments had not been received.
A further extension to February was pushed back a week because parliament was not sitting.
An interim report was released in December.