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 Council of Attorneys-General Age of Criminal Responsibility review
- 1 March 2020
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Council of Attorneys-General Age of Criminal Responsibility Working Group review. The current minimum age of legal responsibility in Australia at 10 years of age harms children, and in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It is discriminatory, and out of step with human rights standards…
Submission to inquiry into the over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in Victoria's youth justice system
- 6 January 2020
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Commission for Children and Young People’s Our Youth, Our Way systemic inquiry into the over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in Victoria’s youth justice system. The impacts of colonisation, racism and dispossession continue to be felt by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and…
Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility: There is a better way
- 27 November 2019
In Australia, at this time, a child as young as 10 can be charged with a crime, put before a court and punished as a criminal. Jesuit Social Services believes this is not only bad for children, but also for the wider community. Our new paper—Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility: There is a better…
Submission to the Senate Legal & Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill 2019
- 7 October 2019
#JusticeSolutions - New Zealand tour
- 24 September 2019
In 2019, senior leaders from Jesuit Social Services embarked on a study trip to New Zealand to learn more about innovative approaches to dealing with adults and young people who have contact with the criminal justice system. This #JusticeSolutions tour followed a similar tour to parts of the US and Europe in 2017. The New…
Submission to the Legal and Social Issues Committee inquiry into a legislated spent convictions scheme in Victoria
- 22 July 2019
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the opportunity to respond to the inquiry into a spent convictions scheme in Victoria. Many of the people we work with struggle to obtain employment due to their criminal record, which can negatively impact their overall mental and physical well-being. We can’t expect people to turn their lives around if they…
What do young people with an out-of-home care experience think about Youth Justice and community safety?
- 14 March 2019
On January 25, 2019, the #WorthaSecondChance Youth Justice Campaign and the CREATE Foundation collaborated on a Kitchen Table Conversation to speak with young people with lived experience of the out of home care sector about their thoughts, ideas and suggestions on Youth Justice and community safety. The Kitchen Table Conversation involved eight young people involved…
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…
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…