NCJ Number
119119
Date Published
1988
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The main responsibility for providing programs for juvenile offenders in New South Wales, Australia rests with the Department of Youth and Community Services (YACS), which operates under the philosophy of the Department of Corrective Services that imprisonment should be the punishment of last resort.
Abstract
Until recently YACS tended to incarcerate juveniles in its institutions and provide only limited community-based supervision. As a result, courts concerned with the adverse effects of incarceration on juveniles referred juveniles to the probation and parole service of the Department of Corrective Services. However, in recent years YACS staff have developed many effective alternatives to institutionalization. These include Young Offender Support Services, Community Service Orders, and the New South Wales Police Cautioning System. New YACS legislation also permits the transfer of unsentenced youths up to age 21 to YACS institutions, recognizing that age is not necessarily the best indicator of vulnerability. Programs in institutions are also operating to teach youthful offenders basic communication skills, as well as reading and math skills. A recent evaluation showed the results to be generally positive. YACS is also trying to inform and educate both the public and politicians regarding young people's needs for appropriate programs and community support to prevent their becoming adult offenders at huge personal costs to themselves and the community.