Number of NT youth in detention reaches highest level in years months after bail law amendments

The number of youth held in detention in the Northern Territory has this month reached its highest level in at least four years following a disturbing 12-month upward trend.

THE number of youth held in detention in the Northern Territory has this month reached its highest level in at least four years following a disturbing 12-month upward trend.

On average, there were more than 60 youth being held – either on remand or sentenced – on any given day for the week commencing November 8, 2021, with growing numbers in both Alice Springs and Darwin detention centres, according to the latest Territory Families census.

The rate of youth incarceration has more than doubled since the introduction of the NT’s youth bail law reforms in May, which make it harder for youth to get bail and more likely for the courts to put offenders behind bars than into a diversion program.

Graph showing the number of young people held at youth detention centres in Darwin and Alice Springs.

The Northern Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) principal legal officer David Woodroffe said the climbing rate of youth incarceration rate was “very concerning”.

“Imprisonment and detention is not the way out or dealing with problems of offending and youth justice, but it is becoming the outcome for many children within the justice system,” he said.

“There’s no doubt that we are seeing ever increasing numbers of children from across the Northern Territory (held in detention), and what we know is that virtually all of these children in detention are Aboriginal children.

“Creating bad laws, such as the bail amendment laws, is already having a draconian effect on children in the Northern Territory.”

Mr Woodroffe said the latest census data showed the NT government must immediately act to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12, which it agreed to in principal at the recommendation of the NT youth detention royal commission in 2017.

David Woodroffe has called on the NT government to immediately increase the age of criminal responsibility.

“The government has already made the commitment to raise the age to 12,” he said.

“There is no reason why we should not be acting right now to introduce that to address these concerns and the numbers in detention and children in the justice system.”

The NT government is spending $2.5m on upgrades to abandoned blocks in the Don Dale Youth Detention centre, which makes up part of a $5m upgrade for prison infrastructure announced in March this year.

“The solution to youth crime is not building bigger and larger prisons, and detaining more and more children as we’re currently seeing,” Mr Woodroffe said.

“That money and investment should be going into the community activities, keeping vulnerable children out of the detention system, with their families and in their communities.”

A spokesman for Territory Families said holding youth in detention was an opportunity to build a plan that “reduces the likelihood of reoffending when the youth leaves detention”

The royal commission recommended Don Dale Youth Detention Centre be closed altogether. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

“Intervening early, preventing young people from engaging in crime, diverting at-risk young people from the cycle of crime and getting young people back on the right track will remain the NT Government’s priority,” the spokesman said.

“Assessments for health and education are made as well as the development of behaviour support and intervention plans for the youth.

“A period in detention is an opportunity for a young person to be assessed so that a through care plan can be built.”

The spokesman said investment in youth justice programs has grown from $22m in 2016-17 to $68.8m in 2020-21.