Graduate Youth Justice Officers to provide additional support to Alice Springs

An NT Minister said newly graduated Youth Justice Officers could play a role in breaking the ‘cycle of reoffending’. Read how they could support the Territory.

New Youth Justice Officers are set to take on shadow shifts and provide support at youth correctional facilities in Darwin and Alice Springs.

A cohort of 23 new recruits graduated in Alice Springs on Friday afternoon.

The new officers were recognised for achieving a competent understanding of youth justice support topics at a ceremony.

These include Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, cultural awareness, youth mental health, first aid, team building, suicide intervention, sexually harmful behaviours, working with young people with a disability, restorative practice and trauma informed care.

Where 13 of the new officers will be deployed in Darwin, 10 will provide continued support for the Alice Springs community.

Territory Families Minister Kate Worden said Youth Justice Officers would play a role in breaking the “cycle of reoffending”. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

Territory Families Minister Kate Worden said the role of Youth Justice Officers was to break the “cycle of reoffending” and ensure the best support is offered to young people in detention.

“Youth Justice Officers help to maintain young people’s connection to culture, family and their community while in detention, and equip them with life skills, support and opportunities to help make better decisions upon leaving detention,” she said.

“We are also implementing a new therapeutic model of care to ensure that young offenders have the best chance successfully returning to the community.”

Police, Fire, and Emergency Services Minister Kate Worden visited Alice Springs to meet with members of the Social Order Response Team (SORT). Picture: Kate Worden/Facebook

Ms Worden recently visited Alice Springs to meet with members of the Social Order Response Team (SORT), including representatives from Alice Springs Town Council, the Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Central Australia, NT Police and Ms Worden’s Territory Families department.

She also met with Central Australian liquor retailers and religious leaders.

In a recent Facebook post, Ms Worden said “the situation in Alice Springs isn’t hopeless as some would have you believe”.

“Local businesses, community organisations and leaders, all levels of government – we believe in Alice Springs and are committed to the safety and wellbeing of this town,” she wrote.

“The hard truth is we can’t arrest our way out of this.

“We’re going to continue to invest heavily in addressing the root causes of crime, including improving housing and access to services in the bush and developing our regions and economy to create local jobs for our fellow Territorians.”