Youth Justice Strategy evidence

The content of the Working Together Changing the Story: Youth Justice Strategy is founded on careful and thorough analysis of a wide range of:

• academic literature
• key strategies and reports
• qualitative human research.

Academic literature

The Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training analysed of a range of academic sources to get various insights and perspectives on topics within the strategy, including systematic reviews produced by the Campbell Collaboration's Social Welfare Coordinating Group on practice, policy, and research. The Campbell Collaboration papers are key sources for the 'What works and what doesn't' section of the strategy.

What works

The literature shows a number of things work, including:

• trauma-informed approaches
• prevention
• diversion
• responding to needs and addressing causes of offending
• programs run at the right intensity and for the right length of time to effect change
• keeping children and young people active and engaged with community
• restorative justice
• mentoring for young people at high risk of offending
• cultural engagement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

Resource list

• Judy Atkinson (2013), 'Trauma–informed services and trauma-specific care for Indigenous Australian children' (PDF, 309KB), Closing the Gap Clearinghouse resource sheet no. 21, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• Hugh de Kretser, 'Myths, misinformation and missed opportunities', Crime and Justice, Insight Magazine, issue 8
• Ross Homel and others (2015), 'Preventing the onset of youth offending: The impact of the Pathways to Prevention Project on child behaviour and wellbeing', Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice no. 481, Australian Institute of Criminology
• Mark Lipsey (2009), 'The Primary Factors that Characterize Effective Interventions with Juvenile Offenders, A Meta-Analytic Overview', 'Victims and Offenders', vol. 4, pp 124–147
• Leesa Morris and others (April 2003), 'Sport, physical activity and anti-social behaviour in youth', Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice no. 249, Australian Institute of Criminology
• Kelly Richards and Lauren Renshaw (2013), 'Bail and remand for young people in Australia: A national research project', Australian Institute of Criminology
• Heather Strang and others (2013), 'Restorative justice conferencing (RJC) using face-to-face meetings of offenders and victims: Effects on offender recidivism and victims satisfaction', Campbell Collaboration
• Vicki-Ann Ware (2013), 'Mentoring programs for Indigenous youth at risk', Closing the Gap Clearinghouse resource sheet no. 22, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• David Wilson and others (2018), 'Police-initiated diversion for youth to prevent future delinquent behaviour', Campbell Collaboration
• Patrick Tolan and others (2013), 'Mentoring interventions to affect juvenile delinquency and associated problems', Campbell Collaboration.

What doesn’t work

The literature also shows what doesn’t work, including:

• that detention is not an effective option other than to protect the community from offenders who pose a serious risk to community safety
• that detention is no more effective than community-based programs and has a range of negative impacts
• scared straight programs
• boot camps
• curfews.

Resource list

• Patrick McCarthy and others (2016), 'The Future of Youth Justice: A community based alternative to the youth prison model', New Thinking in Community Corrections Bulletin, Washington D.C. US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice
• Anthony Petrosino and others (2013) 'Scared straight and other juvenile awareness programs for preventing juvenile delinquency: A systematic review', Campbell Collaboration
• Patrice Villettaz and others (2015) 'The effect of re-offending of custodial vs non-custodial sanctions', Campbell Collaboration
• David Wilson and others (2005) 'Effects of correctional boot camps on offending', Campbell Collaboration
• David Wilson and others (2016) 'Juvenile curfew effects on criminal behaviour and victimisation', Campbell Collaboration.

Data sources

The department has drawn data from a range of sources in the development of the strategy. Published data for Queensland youth justice include:

• Youth Justice pocket stats 2017–18 (PDF, 280KB) or (RTF, 107KB)
• Youth Justice annual summary statistics (2015–16 to 2019–20) – courts (PDF, 218KB) or (XLSX, 332KB)
• Youth Justice annual summary statistics (2015–16 to 2019–20) – detention (PDF, 297KB) or (XLSX, 338KB)
• Youth Justice annual summary statistics (2015–16 to 2019–20) – orders (PDF, 295KB) or (XLSX, 337KB)
• Youth Justice annual summary statistics (2015–16 to 2019–20) – miscellaneous (PDF, 88KB) or (XLSX, 324KB).

In addition, unpublished data and advice from a range of sources was incorporated:

• Youth Justice census data 2018, Young people under supervision using two or more substances, unpublished
• Youth Justice performance and reporting 2018, Number of young people aged 10–15 with a proven offence in 2016–17, unpublished
• Youth Justice performance and reporting 2018, Profile of children and young people under supervision, unpublished data
• Queensland Police Service diversion data 2018, unpublished data
• Program advice on the number of completed certificates through Transition to Success
• Regional advice on the number of families of children and young people monitored or contacted as part of the Townsville Stronger Communities Action Plan, unpublished.

The department has also drawn data from key external sources including:

• the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on youth justice in Australia, the number of young people who return to youth justice supervision and the number of young people in child protection and under youth justice supervision data table S4
• the Australian Productivity Commission who publish government data on youth justice services across Australia
• the Australian Bureau of Statistics for crime statistics
• the Australian Institute of Family Studies on the links between children and young people in the youth justice and child protection systems and the overlap between young people under supervision and alcohol and drug use.

Key Queensland strategies and reports

To take into account the Queensland context, various reports and strategies that relate specifically to the state were examined including:

• the Atkinson Report on Youth Justice (PDF, 826KB)
• the Independent Review of Detention report
• the Age of Criminal Responsibility in Queensland publication by the Queensland Family and Child Commission
• Our Way – A generational strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families 2017–2037 (PDF, 5MB)
• Transition to Success evaluation report (PDF, 3.6MB) (Deloitte)
• Stott, L., Hill, K., and Livingstone, L, October 2015, Coordinated Care for Young People Evaluation Report, Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services
• Restorative justice conferencing evaluation
• Action on Ice: The Queensland Government’s plan to address use and harms caused by crystal methamphetamine
• Annual Report Cairns Safer Streets 2017–18, Cairns Safer Streets Workgroup, unpublished.

Key strategies, reports and resources from other jurisdictions

The department examined reports, strategies and reviews of key Australian and international jurisdictions to take into account the best thinking available across Australian and international jurisdictions.

New Zealand

• Sir Peter Gluckman, 'It's Never too Early, Never too Late: A discussion paper on preventing youth offending in New Zealand' (PDF, 822KB), Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor, 12 June 2018
• Ministry for Children – Oranga Tamariki (New Zealand)
• Department of Justice, 'Youth Crime Action Plan – 2013–2023', New Zealand, 2013

Scotland

• Justice Directorate, 2015, Preventing Offending: Getting it Right for Children and Young People - Our Youth Justice Strategy 2015–2020, Scottish Government
• Justice Board for Scotland, 'Justice in Scotland: Vision and Priorities', July 2017

Wales

• Youth Justice Board (Wales), 'Children and Young People First', Welsh Government July 2014

United States

• March 2018, Does Keeping Youth Close to Home Really Matter? A Case Study (PDF, 157KB), a pre-publication discussion, Columbia Justice Lab, Annie E Casey Foundation, unpublished

Australia

• CREATE Foundation, 'Youth Justice Report, Consultation with young people in out-of–home care about their experiences with police, courts and detention', 2018

New South Wales

• Johnstone, Judge P, 2017, Early Intervention, Diversion and Rehabilitation from the Perspective of the Childrens Court of NSW (PDF, 406KB), Annual Juvenile Justice Summit, Sydney

Victoria

• Penny Armytage and James Ogloff 'Youth Justice Review and Strategy – Meeting needs and reducing offending', July 2017 Victoria and Legal and Social Issues Committee, 'Inquiry into Youth Justice centres in Victoria', Parliament of Victoria, 2018

Northern Territory

• Hon Margaret White and Michael Gooda, 'Report of the Royal Commission and Board of Enquiry into the protection and detention of children in the Northern Territory', 2017
• Reform Management Office, 'Safe Thriving and Connected – Generational change for children and families – 2018–2023 Response to the Royal Commission and Board of Enquiry into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory', Northern Territory Government, 2018

Australian Capital Territory

• ACT Children and Young People Commissioner, 'Children and Young people with Complex needs in the ACT Youth Justice System – criminal justice responses to mental health conditions, cognitive disability, drug and alcohol disorders and childhood trauma', March 2016

South Australia

• Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2015–2018 (not currently available and now superseded by the Young people connected, communities protected South Australia's Youth Justice state plan 2020–2023)

Last updated 31 August 2023