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Stop It Now! Australia is working to keep children safe
One year into delivering the child sexual abuse prevention service Stop it Now! Australia, an anonymous service for people worried about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts and behaviours in relation to children, preliminary evaluation analysis by the University of Melbourne demonstrates the service is having its intended effect of working with individuals to reduce risk factors and increasing protective factors.
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Bail reform a welcome step in the right direction
The Victorian Government’s introduction of laws to reform the state’s bail system is a welcome step towards ensuring the criminal justice system keeps people who pose no risk to the community away from the harms of the prison system and supports them to reset their lives in community.
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NT’s raising the age to 12 a positive step, but more progress needed
As the Northern Territory prepares to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years, the Territory Government must now look at the evidence of what works and raise the age to 14, with no exceptions, as soon as possible.
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Northern Territory must cool Alice Springs Correctional Centre as part of a just transition
The Northern Territory Government must immediately commit to air-conditioning Alice Springs Correctional Centre as one part of a just transition to reduce the climate change-induced impacts of incarceration on some of society’s most marginalised members, says Jesuit Social Services.
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Malmsbury closure means less flexibility in responding to young people
The Victorian Government’s reported decision to close the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre, and relocate a number of children and young people to the new Cherry Creek facility, is disappointing and allows less flexibility in the way the state supports young people in trouble, says Jesuit Social Services.
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Jesuit Social Services is delighted to announce that our own Centre for Just Places, in partnership with Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC), ARC Justice and the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria (FCLC), has been awarded $1.8 million in funding to facilitate a collaborative action planning process to reduce disaster and climate vulnerability and strengthen place-based resilience in the Yarra Ranges and Campaspe communities. The project includes funding to support implementation of priorities identified through the planning process.
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Queensland must to commit to evidence-based justice reform: Jesuit Social Services
While some Australian jurisdictions are taking positive steps towards more humane, evidence-based approaches towards children and young people who have contact with the criminal justice system, Queensland is going backwards with regressive laws that will not support stronger, more cohesive communities.
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Victorian Budget contains investments to support a fairer justice system
The 2023-24 Victorian State Budget, handed down during a challenging economic period as the state works towards recovering from the pandemic, contains a range of investments to improve outcomes for people who have contact with the state’s criminal justice system, says Jesuit Social Services.
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Plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 does not go far enough
The Victorian Government’s announcement that it will raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years now and to 14 within four years is at odds with the evidence about children’s brain development and the best way to create strong and cohesive communities, says Jesuit Social Services. ...
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Failure to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 a missed opportunity
Media reports today suggest that the Victorian Government will raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12, instead of 14 which has long been advocated for by the community services and legal sectors as well as child welfare experts. If this is the case, it is a missed opportunity for the state...