Media releases Archives - Page 4 of 29

Better approaches to supporting young people in the Northern Territory
- 18 June 2021
In May, the Northern Territory Government introduced a number of legislative changes to the youth justice system that will see more children separated from family and community, and funnelled into detention. These deeply concerning measures include increasing grounds to refuse or revoke bail; reducing access to diversion; and more powers to place electronic monitoring devices…
NT Government must invest in prevention, not detention
- 11 June 2021
The Northern Territory Government’s planned expansion of the Don Dale youth detention facility is a tacit admission it is turning its back on the recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory which was established, in no small part, in response to the conditions at the very…
Report paves way for a youth justice system that helps, not harms, Aboriginal children
- 9 June 2021
A new report, tabled in the Victorian Parliament today by the Commission for Children and Young People, highlights a range of potential reforms that would prevent Aboriginal children from having contact with the youth justice system and ensure that children who have contact with the system are given every opportunity to lead positive futures, says…
Post-release housing project will help more people get back on track
- 2 June 2021
The Victorian Government’s funding extension for a community residential facility in Maribyrnong that provides short term accommodation to men who would otherwise exit the prison system into homelessness will help more vulnerable people to get their lives back on track, and reduce the chances of re-offending, says Jesuit Social Services. “We commend the Victorian Government…
Time is now for all Governments to #RaiseTheAge
- 19 May 2021
Jesuit Social Services has joined more than 75 social services, legal and human rights organisations to call on all levels to Government to stop condemning primary school aged children to prison and to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years as a matter of urgency. “Today we are standing alongside many…
Time for states to show true leadership and #RaiseTheAge
- 13 April 2021
The Federal Government’s decision to refer decision making about raising the age of criminal responsibility back to states and territories – after years of debate – will condemn more vulnerable children to unnecessary contact with the criminal justice system, says Jesuit Social Services. “We are deeply disappointed that, despite a wealth of evidence from Australia…
NT youth justice reforms a significant backwards step
- 23 March 2021
The Northern Territory Government’s announcement of a number of legislative changes in relation to the youth justice system are counter-productive, will funnel more children into the detention system, and will not improve community safety, says Jesuit Social Services. “We are very concerned about the measures announced by the Territory Government, including changes to the Bail…
Youth coalition supports Spent Convictions Scheme
- 15 March 2021
We the undersigned member agencies of Smart Justice for Young People, come together to express our collective support for the scheme proposed in the Spent Convictions Bill. Smart Justice for Young People – a coalition of over 50 social services, health, legal, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, youth advocacy organisations and academic experts – has…
New report highlights importance of Indigenous-led solutions to improve outcomes
- 3 December 2020
A new Productivity Commission report measuring the wellbeing of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people demonstrates that Indigenous communities and organisations must be central to designing and implementing solutions to ultimately help people thrive, says Jesuit Social Services. “The Productivity Commission’s report into Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage shows us that too many Aboriginal and Torres…
World Children’s Day highlights need to #RaiseTheAge
- 19 November 2020
World Children’s Day (November 20) is a timely reminder of the vulnerabilities of children and the need to ensure primary school aged children are in the playground – not in prison. Jesuit Social Services’ Worth A Second Chance campaign has just launched a new animated short illustrated by Melbourne artist Ben Jelfs and narrated by…

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