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.

Creating a just and safe Northern Territory
- 12 August 2016
Jesuit Social Services’ election platform, Creating a just and safe Northern Territory, calls on parties and candidates to commit to two key areas for action to tackle the root causes of disadvantage: 1. Ensure all children and young people have the opportunity to flourish Ensure all children have access to early childhood education and health…
Enabling Justice Project Consultation Paper
- 22 June 2016
This Consultation Paper is the result of a collaboration between Jesuit Social Services and RMIT University’s Centre for Innovative Justice, which addresses the over-representation of people with acquired brain injuries (ABIs) in the criminal justice system. The paper gives voice to the experience of participants in the Enabling Justice Project who have an ABI and…
Too much too young: Raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12
- 24 October 2015
Our paper urges all Australian governments to increase the age of criminal responsibility in Australia from 10 to 12. The minimum age of criminal responsibility across all Australian jurisdictions is 10, despite extensive scientific evidence the brains of children under 12 are not adequately developed for them to be criminally responsible. We make six key…
An escalating problem: Responding to the increased remand of children in Victoria
- 1 October 2015
Our paper describes the dramatic increase in the number of children held on remand in Victoria, including a significant increase in children under 15. It finds that the increase is directly driven by reforms to the Bail Act in December 2013 that impose the same conditions and restrictions on children as are applied to adults.…
Building a Just and Safe NSW
- 10 January 2015
Our policy platform draws on our daily work with communities in Western Sydney and remote regions of the state. In it, we call on the next NSW Government to tackle the root causes of disadvantage in order to build a safer and more just community. We identify four key areas for action: Building strong and cohesive…
Investigation into the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners in Victoria
- 12 December 2014
Jesuit Social Services contributed this submission to the Victorian Ombudsman’s Investigation into the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Prisoners. This submission outlines some steps to be taken to confront the dual challenges of overcrowding in our prison system and transitioning people from prison back into community, as well as to strengthen the Victorian justice system’s approach…
Taking action to support people with mental illness and other complex needs
- 20 October 2014
This position paper is one of four produced by Jesuit Social Services as part of our 2014 Victorian State Government Election Platform. In it, we call for the next Victorian Government to ensure that people with mental illness have the support they need so that they can fully participate in our community. Our recommendations consider the particular challenges…
Youth Justice: Strengthening our approach
- 19 October 2014
This paper identifies eight initiatives to improve the Victorian youth justice system, with a focus on opportunities to intervene and divert vulnerable children and young people from the justice system. The paper calls on the next Victorian Government to: Raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years old to 12 years old and put in place approaches to…
A criminal justice system that builds a safer community
- 10 October 2014
This position paper is one of four produced by Jesuit Social Services as part of our 2014 Victorian State Government Election Platform. In it, we call for a more effective and humane approach to criminal justice that focuses on: preventing crime by addressing its root causes diverting people from the justice system providing safe and…
Strengthening Prisoner Transition to Create a Safer Victoria
- 20 June 2014
This paper considers the reforms and investment needed to achieve a reduction to reoffending in Victoria. Our analysis is drawn from our long experience working with prisoners and ex-prisoners and is reinforced with evidence from the emerging international research on ‘desistance’ – the factors that contribute to people stopping offending. The paper describes the complexity of transitioning from prison to the community, and highlights the needs…