Our thinking Archives - Jesuit Social Services

Locking up more Territorians is not a plan
- 21 April 2026
If we want safer communities, we need to invest in what actually works: early intervention, housing, mental health care, support for families and evidence-based diversion programs. The government needs to start listening to all Territorians, not just the people who cheer every tough headline.
Anniversary of the Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples
- 11 February 2026
[The Apology to the Australia's Indigenous Peoples] emphasised that all Australians are equally entitled to respect, and that the Government is responsible for ensuring that all Australians are treated equally regardless of their race and history, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
Australia Day 2026
- 21 January 2026
We must ask ourselves "what we personally, our communities, our politicians, media and institutions must do to address the things that divide us and strengthen those that bind us together," writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ in his Australia Day 2026 reflection.
Jesuit Social Services’ statement on Treaty
- 9 October 2025
As an organisation, we support Treaty because – while we can’t change the immeasurable harm inflicted on Aboriginal people since colonisation – we can create a better future together.
There's a better way to tackle youth crime crisis
- 5 August 2025
Through our nearly 50 years of work with young people who have contact with the justice system, we’ve learnt that this is a more effective way to achieve strong and cohesive communities. There’s a lot of work needed to repair the Territory, our home, but the first steps are recognising the harm we’re doing to…
NAIDOC Week 2025
- 1 July 2025
Recognising how far we still have to go to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures are treated with equality and respect—by both governments and the broader community—is a responsibility that belongs to all Australians, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. This NAIDOC Week calls on all of us who are committed to building a…
National Reconciliation Week 2025
- 22 May 2025
Despite the promises of the 2018 Closing the Gap agreement, many targets remain unmet — and in some areas, the gap has only widened, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. This year, National Reconciliation Week invites us to look forward as well as to reflect on the many deep failings of the past.
Federal pre-Budget Submission 2025 - Safe and respectful youth justice systems
- 24 March 2025
Ahead of the 2025-26 Federal Budget, Jesuit Social Services has published its pre-Budget submission, highlighting opportunities for Government to target spending and policy-making, prioritising reach, strategies and programs that support children, young people and their families to live safe and healthy lives. In our third pre-Budget piece, we focus on the need for a national…
Young people are worth a second chance.
- 10 June 2024
The age of criminal responsibility has been much debated recently. Victoria has committed to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 this year, and to 14 in 2027. The Northern Territory has raised it to 12, and the ACT is in the process of doing so. Other states are planning, considering, or…
World Environment Day 2024
- 5 June 2024
"And yet there are grounds for hope, if not for optimism." Read Andy Hamilton SJ's reflection on World Environment Day 2024.