Worth a Second Chance gains momentum

How a visit to the National Gallery of Victoria encouraged justice-involved students at our Ignatius Learning Centre to delve into their creativity and self-expression.

See how disengaged learners had a rare school excursion experience thanks to our Navigator program and its school holiday city trip.

When a 14-year-old boy named Luke broke into Dave Hammond’s house and stole his car, he could have faced a punitive response simply designed to punish a young person for their actions with little consideration of the circumstances that led to their behaviour. But on this occasion things were different. Dave – who was previously the General Manager of Jesuit Social Services’ Western Sydney programs – and Luke both agreed to participate in a group conference, a process designed to repair harm and restore relationships rather than simply punish bad choices.

In the first episode of our relaunched podcast, Liana Buchanan – the principal commissioner at the Commission for Children and Young People in Victoria – discusses her office’s role in scrutinising conditions inside detention facilities, the harm caused by ‘tough-on-crime’ media narratives and some of the effective practices within Victoria’s justice system she wants to see protected.

Finding work with a criminal record is fraught – and often, maintaining employment in complex and changing circumstances can be even harder. Yet evidence and experience show many justice-involved job-seekers are motivated workers, capable of making the most of opportunities when given a chance. And employment and training provide the stability, purpose and resources young people need to move away from the criminal justice system and onto a better path.