NCJ Number
230519
Date Published
April 2010
Length
243 pages
Annotation
Findings are presented from a comprehensive review of the New South Wales (NSW) Juvenile Justice System.
Abstract
Highlights of key findings/recommendations from the review of the NSW Juvenile Justice System include: 1) a recommendation to adopt a bipartisan approach to juvenile justice; 2) with the juvenile justice system built around a number of key pieces of legislation with the most important of these are the Young Offenders Act, the Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act and the Bail Act, the review believes that in general the Young Offenders Act is effective, although some recommendations are made to improve its oversight and implementation; 3) with no strategy or framework setting out a philosophical approach and long term goals, the development of such a strategy is recommended in order to assist policymakers with decisionmaking and action (by providing a coherent long term approach to youth; 4) youth that enter the juvenile justice system do so with well know risk factors such as family dysfunction, intellectual disability, poor mental health, and homelessness; and 5) in reviewing offenders, it is readily apparent that Indigenous children and young people are significantly overrepresented in all categories of the juvenile justice system. There is no strategy or framework that sets out a philosophical approach, long term goals, and brings together the range of services, projects, programs etc. available for children and young people. The purpose of this review is to propose a plan for future policy, programs, and practices within the juvenile criminal justice system. This plan is to be developed through the identification of emerging trends, evaluating existing government legislation, policy and practices, with the aim of reducing re-offending (particularly of Indigenous offenders). Appendixes A-D and enclosures