The abuse of people in detention happens in secret; OPCAT findings must be made public

"We should not need a special day to encourage us to eradicate poverty in Australia. Poverty is more than a problem to be studied. It wears the face of people whom we meet in the street, through the Vinnies, and see sleeping on the streets. Poverty could wear the face of ourselves, of our children,"…

World Suicide Prevention Day reminds us that suicide is about more than statistics, reflects ANDY HAMILTON SJ. Suicide is not just about numbers. Even so, we should be concerned that, after some years of decline, the number of people who took their lives have risen this year. It remains the main killer of young people,…

ANDY HAMILTON SJ reflects on the recently released 2025-26 Social Justice Statement, whose theme is "Signs of Hope on the Edge: Serving Homeless People with Mental Ill Health." 

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…

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…

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.

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…