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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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Strengthen supported housing for people with multiple and complex needs
People at risk of homelessness who have multiple and complex needs, including cognitive impairments, must have better access to supported housing that is tailored to their needs to prevent them falling through service gaps and into homelessness, says Jesuit Social Services during Homelessness Week.
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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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National Reconciliation Week an invitation to all Australians to help create a stronger future
National Reconciliation Week’s call for all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in their everyday lives is a timely reminder that we all have a role to play in creating a stronger, more equitable country. Supporting a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice to Parliament will also support shaping a society in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians can join together, acknowledging the past and looking to the future, says Jesuit Social Services.
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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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2023-24 Federal Budget provides relief to many Australians, but fails to lift others out of poverty
The 2023-24 Federal Budget, handed down tonight, includes some positive investments to ease current cost of living pressures experienced by millions of Australians and support vital services such as Medicare, but a modest increase to the Jobseeker payment does almost nothing to lift vulnerable...