YAPA and YJC joint media release: 9 April 2008
Reports of overcrowding of young people in juvenile justice (JJ) detention centres are a further indication of a system in crisis, claims the Youth Justice Coalition (YJC) and YAPA, the peak body for young people in NSW.
Recent changes to bail laws have made it more difficult for a young person to apply for bail, resulting in a record number of young people being detained in custody. Young people have been forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor and to share cells, which Katrina Wong, from the Youth Justice Coalition, says is completely outrageous and inappropriate.
“Young people should only be detained as a last resort. These new changes have had a devastating impact on those most at risk in our community, particularly young people from Aboriginal backgrounds, and young women. It offends a well recognised principle when dealing with young offenders that there should be a focus on rehabilitation and diverting them away from the juvenile justice system, and to impose the least restrictive sanction,” says Ms Wong.
The overwhelming numbers of young people held in custody also means that they are unable to access rehabilitative programs and education while in custody. This is particularly worrying given that some of these young people who have not been able to be released on bail are in custody due to a lack of accommodation available in the community.
The increase in numbers of young people in custody can be further attributed to vigilant policing which has seen young people arrested for minor breaches of bail.
“At a recent Youth Week event which was supervised by local youth workers, we had 2 undercover police officers and 3 uniformed police officers waiting outside the venue to arrest a young female as she had breached her bail curfew by an hour. She was handcuffed and taken into a paddy wagon - this level of policing both defies the diversionary approach used with young offenders, and is also a waste of resources”
A flow on effect from this overcrowding has been an increase in the number of young offenders from as young as 16, being transferred to adult jail under administrative powers that are not subject to any checks and balances. Placing young people in the company of adults in environments which do not have a strong rehabilitative focus, or where access to intensive programs are not available further represents a departure from the international principles of which Australia is a signatory to.
[YAPA and YJC joint media release 9 April 2008
