Policy submissions

Here you’ll find a wide selection of policy papers and submissions we’ve published. Each paper draws on our experience working with disadvantaged youth, families and communities.

Submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s OPCAT in Australia Consultation Paper: Stage Two
- 16 October 2018
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s second consultation paper on the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT). On 21 December 2017, the Australian Government ratified OPCAT. OPCAT requires independent inspections of all places of detention in Australia. These will…
All alone: Young adults in the Victorian justice system
- 11 September 2018
Jesuit Social Services believes that prison should always be a last resort. We acknowledge that sometimes prison is necessary, particularly in cases of violent crime. But when a State takes the serious step of removing a person’s liberty, certain standards must be met to ensure the human rights of those incarcerated, to rehabilitate detainees and…
Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry on the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2018
- 17 July 2018
In our Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry on the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2018, we raise our concern that the Bill (which has now become law) allows for the potential exclusion of a vulnerable victim cohort from access to the National Redress Scheme. If a victim…
Submission to the National Children’s Commissioner on Australia’s implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
- 17 July 2018
Since the previous United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) report, there has been little progress in the protection of Australian children and young people. Many of the same key issues are faced by vulnerable young Australians, and government responses have fallen short. Jesuit Social Services assesses the state children’s rights in…
Jesuit Social Services - Submission to the Closing the Gap Refresh
- 14 May 2018
In the ten years since the launch of the Closing the Gap initiative only one out of the seven targets is on track. This failure demonstrates a fundamental error in the way business is done with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This Closing the Gap Refresh needs to be accompanied by genuine change in…
Submission to the 2018/19 NSW State Budget
- 21 March 2018
In our submission to the 2018/19 NSW State Budget, Jesuit Social Services advocated for spending that prioritises social and community services that enable communities to flourish. We called for: a whole-of-government, long-term strategic approach to entrenched and localised disadvantage investment in initiatives to prevent and address male violence in young boys and men targets to…
Submission to the modernisation of the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Act
- 19 March 2018
In our submission to the modernisation of the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Act, Jesuit Social Services was broadly supportive of the recommendations put forward in the Discussion Paper, as we believe they will offer the people we work with and others in their situation, protections from various forms of discrimination and vilification. In particular Jesuit Social…
Submission to the review of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
- 19 March 2018
In our submission to the review of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission legislation, Jesuit Social Services called on the Government to recognise the important role played by government and community services together in addressing complex and dynamic social problems that rely on robust civic dialogue for continual improvement. Governments can help achieve this by…
Inquiry into the adequacy of youth diversionary programs in NSW
- 15 February 2018
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Legislative Assembly Committee on Law and Safety’s inquiry into the adequacy of youth diversionary programs in NSW. Effective youth justice responses recognise the underlying factors that contribute to offending, and seek to address them and prevent entrenchment in the justice system. In our submission we…
Ecological justice: Expanding the Conversation
- 15 February 2018
For more than forty years Jesuit Social Services has been committed to building a just society and in 2008 we commenced the journey into understanding the relevance of ecology for the organisation. This paper explores the relevancy and application of ecological justice as a holistic paradigm inclusive of social and environmental justice and seeks to…

Policy submissions

A safe path out of prison can change everything