Addressing youth crime in Townsville

We are helping youths avoid becoming caught up in the criminal justice system by:

better supporting them on their way to adulthood
addressing the drivers of youth crime.

This is being achieved through:

early intervention initiatives
evidence-based programs
increasing access to education, training, employment, housing and sport.

Read more about how this is being achieved through Youth Justice reforms.

Initiatives to target youth offending in Townsville

Change-orientated intervention programs

Offence-focused programs are in place to change negative behaviour such as anger and aggression and anti-social habits. These skills-based programs, including Changing Habits and Reaching Targets (CHART) and Emotional Regulation and Impulse Control (ERIC) designed for youths, use a cognitive behavioural therapy approach. They offer practical tools to support casework with youths who are involved with youth justice. They are used by youth justice staff as part of their casework intervention with individual clients or, where appropriate, with small groups of 2 to 3 clients. Caseworkers will help the youth use the skills they've learned (such as problem-solving, consequential thinking and effective coping strategies) to maintain behaviour changes and prevent relapse.

Community service

If a youth pleads guilty to or is found guilty of an offence, a court can order that they do unpaid work in the community for a certain number of hours. The Queensland Government organises the work and arranges for the youth to be supervised while they’re doing it.

Crime Prevention School

Special assistance school to re-engage youths who have fallen out of mainstream schooling to stop crime before it starts.

This initiative is part of a broader $50 million investment across 5 years to create 4 new specialised schools that re-engage youth who:

are in grades 7 to 12
have disengaged from mainstream education
are at risk of coming into contact with police
have needs that cannot be accommodated within a conventional school setting.

Crime prevention schools will be located in Gold Coast, Ipswich, Rockhampton and Townsville and deliver a program that:

provides youths with a stronger engagement with education and employment
secures improvements in wellbeing, resilience and mental health outcomes
fosters stronger family and community supports
delivers wraparound support services in conjunction with the education program
works in partnership with families and communities to build protective factors
supports youths to achieve positive goals
takes into account the specific needs of the local community.

Early Action Group

The Townsville Early Action Group is a multi-agency team who are co-located and provide case management services to youths aged 8-16 years, who are a moderate/high risk of future offending. The Early Action Group focus on providing early intervention supports for youths and their families that address the factors underlying their risk of future criminal behaviour.

Electronic monitoring

GPS smart tags may be fitted to suitable youths as a component of their bail conditions as part of an electronic monitoring trial in multiple locations around Queensland, including Townsville.

Fast track sentencing trial

The trial is occurring in a number of communities across Queensland, including Townsville. The purpose of the trial is to identify and address the causes of court delays so matters can be finalised as quickly as possible.

Garbutt Youth Hub

Provides safe space for youths who are at risk of contact with youth justice system and delivers programs and activities to support youths with connection to culture, education, employment, and healthy relationships.

Interim Bail Response Program

Delivered by non-government organisations, this program is aimed at high-risk youths on bail and their families. The program provides intensive support and practical assistance to aid a youth's compliance with bail.

JTYouGotThis

The program is focused on addressing anti-social and offending behaviour, with the aim of preventing subsequent offending. The program includes goal setting, mentoring, cultural engagement and post-program support.

Multi-agency collaboration panels

The Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support coordinates multi-agency collaboration panels which are aimed specifically at reducing and preventing reoffending by youths who are already in the youth justice system. A youth's case may be presented to the panel, which can include representatives from police, child safety, youth justice, health, education, housing, and non-government stakeholders. The panels address systemic challenges and barriers to stop youth offending and keep the community safe.

Neuro Ability Support Service

Provides provide a culturally responsive service that will work with youths with suspected or diagnosed neurodevelopment disabilities who are in the youth justice system. A diagnosis will help Youth Justice to work more effectively with a youth and ensure appropriate considerations are identified, especially where courts are involved.

Regional Reset

Regional Reset is an early intervention program, targeted to youths aged 8 to 17-years-old and their family where the youth is displaying early criminogenic risk factors and/or anti-social behaviours (including drug and alcohol misuse and anger management issues) and are, or at high risk of, coming into contact with police and/or court system, that may be disengaged from school.

The program will provide a short stay of 1 to 3 weeks, as well as mentoring and therapeutic supports for a period pre- and post-stay.

Restorative justice conferencing

This is a structured meeting between a victim of crime and the youth responsible for the offending behaviour. The purpose of the conference is to discuss the harm that has been caused and to work out an agreement for how the youth can make amends for their actions. The youth is legally required to fulfil the agreement and is monitored to ensure this happens.

Staying on Track

Staying on track is a 12-month bridging plan with at least 6 months intensive supervision rehabilitation post-release, co-delivered with Youth Justice statutory practitioners with support from the non-government sector contract suppliers and other partner agencies (government and non-government).

The aim is to reduce the number of victims of youth offending and reoffending rates post detention. Youths will have up to 12-month post-release support from a community service who is partnered with them while in detention to bridge the transition to community, offering stability and a pathway to education and employment over the year after release.

Townsville Community Youth Response and Diversion

This includes the following components:

After-hours safe place: The Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Services (TAIHS) Lighthouse provides additional after-hours supervision and support for youths at risk of offending.
Case management: This is delivered by Youth Justice to youths at high risk of reoffending. Each intensive case manager has contact with the youth and their family multiple times each week to address the issues underlying their offending. Intensive case management involves extensive coordination and partnership with other agencies involved with the youth and family, to ensure there is a unified and coordinated plan for each individual youth.
Bridging to education, training, and employment: The intent of this program is to positively engage youths who are disengaged from education, training, and employment, and to build their capacity to engage or re-engage with appropriate education, training, and employment opportunities.
Cultural mentoring: Provides culturally appropriate support through mentoring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youths via a trusted gender-specific adult who can promote and influence a non-offending, prosocial lifestyle. Cultural mentoring assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youths to have a better understanding of their family and kin, and to develop a more positive cultural identity.

Townsville Youth Court

Youth repeat offenders appear before the same magistrate who can tailor court orders to respond to the individual's specific family circumstances. The magistrate will also apply penalties that fit the crime. Sentencing options that ensure youths are giving back to the community are prioritised. Magistrates can also order youths to participate in education and training.

Transition to Success (T2S)

The Transition to Success (T2S) program uses a vocational training and therapeutic service model to change the story for youths and their community. Its primary goal is to prevent youths from re-offending and returning to, the criminal justice system. It offers youths aged 15 years and over skills, training and support to enter the workforce or continue their education through partnerships with schools, not-for-profit organisations, registered training organisations and local businesses.

Youth Co-responder teams

Youth co-responder teams are highly visible, dedicated teams of police and youth justice professionals working together in specially marked cars. They engage with youths who are at risk of offending or on bail. Through the teams, youths and their families and carers can be linked to other organisations to get the help they need with issues such as health, education and housing. Most Youth Co-responder Teams operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Townsville.