Victorian Government’s youth custody announcement a positive step, say health, legal, community leaders

The Victorian Government’s 2025-26 State Budget, handed down today, includes some positive investments to support the community to address current cost-of-living challenges. But, with well over half a billion dollars being invested into expanding the state’s prison system, it is ultimately a missed opportunity to invest more into prevention and early intervention to support stronger…

A $727 million expansion of Victoria’s prison capacity, announced ahead of the 2025/26 State Budget, is money spent at the wrong end of the system and won’t do anything to prevent crime in the long run, says Jesuit Social Services.

The 2025-26 Federal Budget represents a missed opportunity for the Federal Government to show national leadership on youth justice at a time when many states and territories are shunning the evidence of what works in preventing crime.

The Victorian Government’s 2025-26 State Budget must prioritise the funding, or re-funding, of critical services that support marginalised people and communities to flourish.

The Victorian Government’s bail reforms, which will be introduced into Parliament next week, focus on the wrong end of the system when more investment is needed in preventing crime from occurring.

Jesuit Social Services has called on the Federal Government to appoint a Minister for Children and invest in evidence-backed intervention to reduce family violence, child sexual abuse, and address failing youth justice systems.

The latest release from the Victorian Crime Statistics Agency shows the number of young people committing offences has dropped over the past year, but that the number of crimes each young person is committing has increased.