About Youth Justice
Our role in the youth justice system
The Queensland Government is focused on keeping our communities safe by addressing the drivers of youth crime and better supporting youth on the transition to adulthood so they can avoid becoming entrenched in the criminal justice system. We also provide youths with alternative pathways that create better lives.
We expect youths to be law abiding and respectful. Stronger consequences for youth offenders and a commitment to break the cycle of violence are backed by initiatives designed to create a brighter future.
Our programs and services aim to:
- keep communities safe
- support victims of crime
- tackle the complex causes of youth crime
- target serious repeat offenders.
These services are evidence-based and appropriately targeted.
Providing services to the youth justice system
We have primary responsibility for providing services to youths in the youth justice system and broader community. This involves advising youths at court and supervising youths sentenced by the court. As part of our role, we:
- detain high-risk youth in custody pending court outcomes. While detained, the department provides the services required to ensure the youth's needs are met
- detain high-risk youth when they've been sentenced to detention. Once in detention, we may provide services to the youth aimed at rehabilitation and improving life outcomes
- supervised orders given by the court, including probation and community service orders. This also includes providing services that help the youth to meet the requirements of their order and address the factors which have contributed to their offending.
- hold youths to account for failing to comply with court orders by returning them to court.
Funding early intervention and prevention services
We fund non-government organisations (NGOs) to provide early intervention and prevention services to complement early childhood development, health services, and educational services. Some of the services we provide under this model include:
- family wellbeing services
- adolescent sexual offending services
- On Country program
- bail support services
- youth offender support services
- legal advocacy services.
Partnering with government agencies
We partner with other government departments to identify and engage with at-risk youths, divert them from the youth justice system, and follow up on complex bail monitoring strategies. This may involve the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Health, Department of Education, and Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety.
Some of the services we provide under this model include:
- Queensland Youth Partnerships, which provides alternative opportunities and activities for at-risk youth with a focus on youth development, training, employment and engagement. It is specifically targeted to prevent crime and youths engaging in anti-social behaviour in busy shopping centres.
- Navigate Your Health, which uses nurse navigators to provide health and development assessments and connect youths with relevant health and support services. By addressing and improving some of the underlying health factors that contribute to offending, the program prevents offending and reduces reoffending.
- Framing the Future (Booyah), which provides mentoring and support to Project Booyah graduates for up to 6 months after completion. This better connects at-risk youth with further education and training, and creates alternative pathways and opportunities to empower them to change their story and live better lives.
- Community Youth Response and Diversion, which is a diversion program that provides alternative pathways to support youths. The program's emphasis is on after-hours support, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural mentoring, bridging to flexi-school, and family-focused integrated case management for youths aged 10–15 years who are at high risk of reoffending.
- Integrated case management, which provides specialised case managers who deliver intensive support for a small number of high-risk youth offenders and their families to reduce reoffending and limit the number of youths on remand.
- Police Blitz on bail, which involves appealing court decisions where appropriate.
- Co-responder teams, which are a joint response between us and the Queensland Police Service. Our staff work alongside Queensland Police officers to respond to youths at risk of offending behaviour, including those who are at risk of not-complying with bail conditions. Co-responder teams work proactively with youth and their families to engage them with supports and tackle issues that may be contributing to non-compliance with bail.
Funding complementary services
We fund NGOs to provide services that complement the services provided by other government departments. Examples include focused housing and accommodation support, educational support, and justice groups.