‘Not how the Territory should be’: Outcry at CLP’s latest youth crime crackdown

The NT government’s latest youth crime crackdown has drawn outcry from the children’s watchdog, opposition, and community groups, who say it will only entrench bad behaviour.

The NT’s latest youth crime crackdown has drawn outcry from critics who say the plan will only entrench disadvantage and bad behaviour. Photo: Nicholas Falconer

The NT government’s latest youth crime crackdown has drawn outcry from the children’s watchdog, opposition, and community groups, who say the plan to stamp out offending will only entrench disadvantage and bad behaviour.

On Friday the Country Liberal government announced it would expand the list of offences for which young people must be sent to court, including driving stolen cars, hit and runs, break-ins, serious harm offending, and assaults on frontline workers.

Children charged with those crimes will no longer be eligible for youth diversion – which describes a range of alternative responses including referrals by police to early intervention programs and services, and youth justice conferencing between the offender and victim.

Northern Territory Children's Commissioner Shahleena Musk.

NT Children’s Commissioner Shahleena Musk said she was “deeply concerned” by the changes.

“Diversion programs provide an essential opportunity to link children in with tailored community based interventions, services and supports to create lasting and meaningful behavioural change, while also reducing rates of reoffending,” she said.

Ms Musk said youth diversion – particularly conferencing – also allowed victims to have their voice heard, and children to understand the impact of their offending on the community.

“Punitive responses to children who come into early contact with police do not make the community safer,” she said.

Dr Mindy Sotiri, Executive Director of the Justice Reform Initiative. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Justice Reform Initiative executive director Mindy Sotiri accused the CLP of continuing to put politics above evidence-based policy.

“At some point, there is a need to stop playing politics, and stop blaming the previous government for unacceptable rates of crime,” Dr Sotiri said.

“If imprisonment actually worked to reduce crime, then the Northern Territory would be one of the safest places in Australia.

“The evidence shows that if we support community led solutions and build the capacity of families and communities so that they are able to respond to things like drug and alcohol dependency, disability, mental health conditions, unemployment, family and domestic violence, and homelessness, crime rates will fall.

“This approach doesn’t mean excusing crime or minimising its impact – it’s about being smart about resourcing what actually works to build community safety.”

Alyawarre-Luritja woman and member of Justice not Jails Crystal Roberts said the latest announcement by the government was “further proof that the Chief Minister is not interested in working with us to implement what is best for our children”.

“There is no ‘taxi service for youth offenders’, there is a pipeline that goes straight to jail from the child protection system,” she said.

“Instead of working with us to support our law and justice groups, the CLP government is caging our people in record numbers. This is not how the Territory should be.”

NT Deputy Opposition Leader Dheran Young. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

NT Labor also criticised the policy, noting police already had discretion around youth diversion.

“The truth is, police are not currently required to consider diversion if an offender has a criminal history,” Deputy Opposition Leader Dheran Young said.

“The government needs to put up or shut up: release the data showing how many times police have actually referred young people to diversion for serious offences.

“In the first week of parliament, Lia Finocchiaro promised her new laws weren’t about locking up young people.

“But with crime now skyrocketing and their plan in ruins, they’ve fallen back on exactly that approach.”

NT Greens convener Jonathan Parry said limiting diversion would only make the youth crime problem worse: “Children should be steered away from the justice system and be given the opportunity to learn from their mistakes while they’re still growing and learning,” he said.

Originally published as ‘Not how the Territory should be’: Outcry at CLP’s latest youth crime crackdown