Our thinking Archives - Page 23 of 32 - Jesuit Social Services

Is Australia really being overrun by youth crime on the rise?
- 23 February 2018
Young offenders must be seen and treated differently to adults, and youth justice strategies should be based on evidence of what works, writes Jesuit Social Services volunteer FRAN SHEAHAN. Image credit: Tim Marshall In a recent article by Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards, published in Children Australia Vol 42 No 4, Ms Edwards outlined…
"The Apology engendered great hope. It remains unrealised".
- 13 February 2018
Picture credit: butupa A decade on from Prime Minister Rudd’s landmark Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples, ANDY HAMILTON SJ reflects that the great hope engendered by it remains unrealised. Ten years have passed since the Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on behalf of Parliament and the nation. It seems…
Sharing stories to influence change
- 30 January 2018
When Rashid (not his real name), a participant of Jesuit Social Services’ settlement programs, was offered the opportunity to travel to Canberra to meet with a number of federal MPs late last year he took it with both hands. Representatives from Jesuit Social Services and the Refugee Council of Australia meeting Julian Hill MP in…
Political leaders must support, not punish, vulnerable Australians
- 10 January 2018
Tens of thousands of Australians will be impacted by proposed welfare reform measures. It’s time for our political leaders to support, not punish vulnerable people, writes Jesuit Social Services Media Relations Manager KATHRYN KERNOHAN. In 2017 the Federal Government courted controversy by proposing to drug test welfare recipients, despite evidence from several US states that…
Vulnerable young people need support, not stigma
- 3 January 2018
Focusing on punitive measures as a means of tackling crime deprives us of the opportunity to constructively discuss effective solutions that address the causes of alienation and disengagement young people often experience, writes Jesuit Social Services Communications Coordinator ANDREW GILLETT. Jesuit Social Services has been working with young people who have been involved with the…
Federal Government’s MYEFO seeks to create second class citizens
- 19 December 2017
The Federal Government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook seeks to create second class citizens who are excluded from full participation in society, writes Jesuit Social Services Media Relations Manager KATHRYN KERNOHAN. This week, the Federal Government handed down its Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), an update on this year’s Federal Budget. The Federal Government…
Raise the age of criminal responsibility
- 29 November 2017
Jesuit Social Services has joined more than 50 Victorian organisations in signing an open letter to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, calling on the Government to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years of age. The letter outlines evidence that shows most children under the age of 14 do not have…
"If we can change the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of men when it comes to violence against women then men will flourish"
- 25 November 2017
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25), ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that improving the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of men towards women will improve outcomes for all members of society. Some people have asked why there is a special day dedicated to the elimination of violence against women. Is…
Beyond punishment
- 14 November 2017
ANDY HAMILTON SJ explores how justice can hold people to account while also offering hope and a pathway forward. In recent years in Australia justice has increasingly been seen through the lens of punishment. It is retributive. You do the crime, you do the time. In public controversies about justice critics usually complain that the…
NDIS not meeting the needs of marginalised members of the community
- 13 November 2017
The harrowing tale of a young man languishing in prison due to a lack of suitable accommodation in the community highlights that the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) does not meet the needs of some of the most marginalised members of the community, writes Jesuit Social Services Media Relations Manager KATHRYN KERNOHAN. The story of…

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