Media releases Archives - Jesuit Social Services

Australia’s glowing report card to the UN ignores a youth justice system in crisis
- 10 July 2026
Australia’s national report to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review presents a picture of human rights progress that is impossible to reconcile with the treatment of children in detention across the country, according to Jesuit Social Services.
Fall in youth crime highlights need to focus on the real crime, not vulnerable teenagers
- 18 June 2026
Statistics released today from the Crime Statistics Agency that show a 6 per cent fall in youth crime in Victoria up to March 2026, and a 1.9 per cent decrease in recorded offences, are a sign that the Victorian Government’s Adult Time for Violent Crime laws are an over-reaction when evidence-based alternatives are more effective at making our community…
Tax reform an important step in addressing housing crisis
- 12 May 2026
Jesuit Social Services welcomes tonight’s Federal Budget as recognition of the structural inequalities contributing to disadvantage and the role safe, affordable and stable housing can play in supporting people to flourish., says Jesuit Social Services.
Urgent Independent Inquiry into the systems that are failing Northern Territory’s children needed
- 12 May 2026
The Northern Territory Government must heed the calls from the Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner, Shahleena Musk, and National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter, to halt proposed legislative reforms and instead call an independent inquiry led by the Commissioners.
Victoria’s Budget misses the mark on fairness, prevention and early intervention
- 5 May 2026
The Victorian Government’s 2026 State Budget includes some positive measures to address current cost-of-living challenges but is ultimately a missed opportunity to invest more into prevention and early intervention in relation to crime and to support stronger communities, says Jesuit Social Services.
Plan to jail even more children won’t reduce youth crime
- 15 April 2026
The Victorian Opposition's plan to expand the already concerning ‘adult time for violent crime’ laws to cover twice as many offences, should it win November’s state election, would be a backwards step and fail to reduce youth crime from occurring in the first place.
Misguided ‘tough on crime’ policies leading to Closing the Gap failures
- 19 March 2026
As Australia marks National Closing the Gap Day, new data released by the Productivity Commission’s Closing the Gap dashboard shows that Australia is on track to meet only four of the 19 targets and that Australia is going backwards on key targets - the rate of suicide, adult imprisonment, the number of children developmentally on…
The Victorian Government’s bail reforms are creating unsafe and unacceptable conditions
- 24 February 2026
Severe and dangerous overcrowding in Victoria’s police cells is a result of bail reforms introduced last year and there is an urgent need for a change in direction from the Government.
More beds at Malmsbury a sign of failure, not success
- 19 February 2026
The expansion of Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre is a significant investment at the wrong end of the system using money that would be far better spent on evidence-based solutions that prevent crime from occurring.
Jesuit Social Services calls for NT Government to end the transportation and imprisonment of children far away from their families
- 6 February 2026
Jesuit Social Services is calling on the Northern Territory Government to end the practice of imprisoning children from Central Australia in facilities in Darwin and to accept the five recommendations from a new report from the NT Office of the Children’s Commissioner.