Message from James Bell: Reflections on Australian Juvenile Justice System
James Bell on Australian Juvenile Justice
Posted by on December 23rd, 2008
I recently attended the Inaugural Australasian Human Rights and Policing Conference. Australia is reputed — along with New Zealand — to posses juvenile justice systems that truly believe the use of detention should be a last resort. Based on a week of personal observations and interviews, I believe that reputation is well deserved. It was uplifting to be exposed to a juvenile justice system that valued childhood and put the notions of rehabilitation into policy and practice.
Most impressive of all, Melbourne is a city of about four million people and has only about 40 youth total in pre-adjudication detention at any given time.
A closer look reveals that there are several legislative barriers in Australia to placing youth in detention, which has resulted in its significantly lower number of youth in detention. Indeed, almost 60 percent of Australian police contact with youth-in-trouble with the law are responded to informally. Additionally, supervision and service provision are conducted by social workers. Such workers are rewarded for keeping youth out of detention rather than issuing violations that result in the incarceration of youth. Rarely are youth placed in detention because a strong owing must be made to the judge regarding how incarceration is “beneficial” to the child.
Of course, the Australian system faces many of the same challenges that any system of interventions regarding youth-in-trouble with the law encounters. They do have overrepresentation of indigenous Aboriginal youth in their facilities, a small proportion of multiple offenders and insufficient numbers of mental health services. However, Australian stakeholders are pro-active in engaging these issues. Their system felt restorative and full of possibilities. I will be blogging further in the coming year on some of the specifics of the Australian system of youth intervention.
Until then, check out our new report on the state of juvenile justice here in the U.S.
-James Bell
Posted by on December 23rd, 2008
I recently attended the Inaugural Australasian Human Rights and Policing Conference. Australia is reputed — along with New Zealand — to posses juvenile justice systems that truly believe the use of detention should be a last resort. Based on a week of personal observations and interviews, I believe that reputation is well deserved. It was uplifting to be exposed to a juvenile justice system that valued childhood and put the notions of rehabilitation into policy and practice.
Most impressive of all, Melbourne is a city of about four million people and has only about 40 youth total in pre-adjudication detention at any given time.
A closer look reveals that there are several legislative barriers in Australia to placing youth in detention, which has resulted in its significantly lower number of youth in detention. Indeed, almost 60 percent of Australian police contact with youth-in-trouble with the law are responded to informally. Additionally, supervision and service provision are conducted by social workers. Such workers are rewarded for keeping youth out of detention rather than issuing violations that result in the incarceration of youth. Rarely are youth placed in detention because a strong owing must be made to the judge regarding how incarceration is “beneficial” to the child.
Of course, the Australian system faces many of the same challenges that any system of interventions regarding youth-in-trouble with the law encounters. They do have overrepresentation of indigenous Aboriginal youth in their facilities, a small proportion of multiple offenders and insufficient numbers of mental health services. However, Australian stakeholders are pro-active in engaging these issues. Their system felt restorative and full of possibilities. I will be blogging further in the coming year on some of the specifics of the Australian system of youth intervention.
Until then, check out our new report on the state of juvenile justice here in the U.S.
-James Bell
Add a Comment
1 Comment
-
Comment by Tshaka on December 23, 2008 at 3:06pm - In a city of 4 million people they only have 40 kids in front end detention on any given day. Most small cities in the US have more than 40 kids in their detention systems.
About
The Gathering’s Mission
The mission of The Gathering is to build an Intergenerational, movement, rooted in history, cultures and non-violent direct action to heal communities, build collective strength and generate an environment of hope and opportunity.
Civil rights and social justice organizations have come to understand that collective action on a national basis is required to stop child incarceration and challenge the immoral process which perpetuates an unjust justice system. These groups are working under extremely difficult circumstances and many of them with little or no resources. The Gathering is a national movement that creates a coordinated space to 1) fortify relationships between regional groups, 2) support local endeavors and 3) enhance the ongoing organizing of non-violent direct action training. Central to its mission is strengthening our moral environment.
- “a project of tides center” -
"The Gathering" is a project of Tides Center 501c3
Civil rights and social justice organizations have come to understand that collective action on a national basis is required to stop child incarceration and challenge the immoral process which perpetuates an unjust justice system. These groups are working under extremely difficult circumstances and many of them with little or no resources. The Gathering is a national movement that creates a coordinated space to 1) fortify relationships between regional groups, 2) support local endeavors and 3) enhance the ongoing organizing of non-violent direct action training. Central to its mission is strengthening our moral environment.
- “a project of tides center” -
"The Gathering" is a project of Tides Center 501c3
Videos
-
Elder wisdom
Added by Jonathan Lewis
-
-
-
Badge
© 2009 Created by Gathering For Justice on Ning. Create Your Own Social Network
You need to be a member of The Gathering For Justice to add comments!
Join this social network