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‘Getting tough on youth won’t work’
THE Queensland Law Society believes a 'tough on youth crime' approach is misguided, and energy spent targeting repeat offender intervention would be more successful.
Queensland Law Society president Annette Bradfield said on Friday the government's Safer Streets Crime Action Plan needed to address breaking the cycle of re-offending rather than the statistical number of offences committed by young people.
"It is not about reducing the number of young people committing crimes, as the Children's Court of Queensland's figures show this is in decline, it is about addressing the issue of persistent offenders charged with multiple offences," she said.
"It is ineffective to try to address this issue by radically reforming youth justice legislation as this affects all children and young people coming into contact with the system.
"We recommend employing non-legislative strategies which focus on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism for this small group of young people."
Ms Bradfield said the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian had reported one in seven children in youth detention had experienced homelessness, often in cases where they had no money, food or basic needs met.
"Given the high rates of young people in detention on remand, there is a need for more programs that can help a young person comply with bail conditions, whether by sourcing accommodation, or supporting young people to remain engaged with education," she said.
"To his credit, the Attorney-General appears concerned with the protection of children and we'd like to see this concern extended to those young people caught in a vicious circle of poverty, difficult home lives and crime.
"A 'tough on crime' approach to young people is the expensive option – the action plan indicates we spend more than $33 million a year on youth detention.
"Meanwhile, this approach would likely lead to an increase in the number of offenders as it casts the net wider, capturing those who may otherwise be rehabilitated and further entrenching them in the youth justice system."
Ms Bradfield said to improve youth justice, the society recommended targeted intervention for repeat offenders which addressed underlying issues causing behaviour.
Annette Bradfield
9 July 2013
http://www.northweststar.com.au/story/1624423/getting-tough-on-youth-wont-work/?cs=191
