Our thinking
Young people are worth a second chance.
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 rejecting it. At Jesuit Social Services, we have argued for many years that children do not belong in jail.