Juvenile justice trends
in Australia
Rachel Aalders
Key points
• Relatively few young people are involved
in the juvenile justice system
• Significant and ongoing
over-representation of Indigenous young
people
• Changes in the use of detention
• Impact of factors at the state and territory
level
Juvenile justice system in Australia
• State and territory responsibility
• Involves police, courts, juvenile justice
agencies, parole boards
• Young person
– 10–17 years (10–16 years in Qld)
– 18+ in some cases
Juvenile justice system—overview
Unsupervised
(e.g.
unsupervised
bail)
Unsupervised
(e.g. fine)
Community
supervision
(e.g.
supervised bail)
Community
supervision
(e.g. probation)
Juvenile justice
agency
supervision
Detention
sentence
Remand
Proceeded against
by police
Court appearance
Court action
Non-court action
(e.g. warnings,
cautions,
conferencing)
Matter finalised
Diversion (e.g.
conference)
Sentencing
Charge proven
Charge unproven,
transferred,
withdrawn
Parole Board
hearing
Parole/
supervised
release
Juvenile justice data and reports
• Juvenile justice in Australia (AIHW)
– Juvenile Justice National Minimum Data Set
– Unit-record data from 2000–01
– Data in presentation 2007–08
• Criminal Courts (ABS)
– Finalised defendants
– Children’s Court data from 2006–07
• Recorded crime—offenders (ABS)
– People proceeded against by police
– Data on children aged 10 years and older from 2007–08
Only a few are supervised
For 10–17 year olds, each year:
• 65,000 proceeded against by police
• 25,000 defendants in Children’s Courts
• 14,000 supervised by juvenile justice
agencies
• 6,000 in detention
National trends in supervision rates
Community-based supervision
Number per 1,000 on average day
Detention
2.5
2.20
2.17
2.18
2.10
2
1.5
1
0.5
0.30
0.32
0.34
0.37
0
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07
2007–08
National trends—community
Indigenous
Number per 1,000 avg day (columns)
18
16


Non-Indigenous
Rate ratio (diamonds)
16


14
14
12
12
10
10
8
8
6
6
4
4
2
2
0
0
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07
2007–08
National trends—detention
Indigenous
Number per 1,000 avg day (columns)
Non-Indigenous
Rate ratio (diamonds)
4.5
4
30




25
3.5
3
20
2.5
15
2
1.5
10
1
5
0.5
0
0
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07
2007–08
National trends in detention—legal status
Number of young people on average day
350
300
250
200
150
Indigenous unsentenced
Indigenous sentenced
100
Non-Indigenous unsentenced
Non-Indigenous sentenced
50
0
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07
2007–08
Community and detention rates
Number per 1,000 av day (columns)
3.5
Community-based
supervision rate
Rate ratio (diamonds)
12
Detention rate

3
10

2.5
8
2




1.5
1
4


6

0.5
2
0
0
NSW
Vic
Qld
WA
SA
Tas
ACT
NT
Aust
Community-based supervision—Indigenous
status (rates)
Number per 1,000 avg day (columns)
Rate ratio (diamonds)
30
35
Indigenous

25
30
Non-Indigenous
25
20
20
15

10





5
10


15
5
0
0
NSW
Vic
Qld
WA
SA
Tas
ACT
NT
Aust
Detention—Indigenous status (rates)
Number per 1,000 avg day (columns)
9
Indigenous
45

8
Rate ratio (diamonds)
Non-Indigenous
40
7
35
6
30
5



4



25
20
3
15

2
10
1
5
0
0
NT Aust incl NSW
NSW
Vic
Qld
WA
SA
Tas
ACT
Detention—legal status (rates)
Number per 1,000 avg day (columns)
Rate ratio (diamonds)
0.9

0.8

Remand
2.5

Sentenced
2
0.7
0.6



1.5
0.5

0.4


1
0.3
0.2
0.5
0.1
0
0
NSW
Vic
Qld
WA
SA
Tas
ACT
NT
Aust
Trends in remand
Average daily population
250
2004–05
2005–06
200
2006–07
2007–08
150
100
50
0
NSW
Vic
Qld
WA
SA
Tas
ACT
NT
Trends in sentenced detention
Average daily population
180
2004–05
160
2005–06
140
2006–07
120
2007–08
100
80
60
40
20
0
NSW
Vic
Qld
WA
SA
Tas
ACT
NT
Report availability
• All AIHW publications available for free to
download
https://www.aihw.gov.au
http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm
• Juvenile justice report series
http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/series/405
• Juvenile justice subject page
http://www.aihw.gov.au/phjj/juvenilejustice
Contact details
Rachel Aalders
Senior Project Manager, Juvenile Justice
Child and Youth Welfare Unit
rachel.aalders@aihw.gov.au
juvenilejustice@aihw.gov.au
02 6244 1112