NCJ Number
140937
Journal
Criminology Australia Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (July-August 1992) Pages: 14-17
Editor(s)
A Grant,
M Thompson
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Government and departmental strategies to reduce juvenile delinquency in Western Australia include systems and programs aimed at preventing the occurrence of delinquency and diverting youthful offenders from the formal juvenile justice system.
Abstract
These diversion programs range from police cautioning to the Children's Suspended Proceedings Panel, reparation schemes, and a wide range of community and departmentally- based support programs focusing on family relations, school support, alcohol and drug counseling, parent education, and self-esteem building. While the juvenile justice system in Western Australia had been based on the rehabilitation model, the 1988 Children's Court Act of Western Australia separated the Children's Court from the Department for Community Services and instituted sentencing provisions for serious juvenile offenders. The Children's Court has a variety of available sentencing options including secure detention, conditional release orders, probation, community service orders, fines, good behavior bonds, and dismissal. Initiatives to reduce delinquency have emphasized victim awareness, educational programs, community-based strategies, and work and training programs. Issues which must yet be addressed include the overrepresentation of aboriginal youth in the juvenile justice system, the need for cooperation between government and private sectors, juvenile recidivism, and the development of early intervention and alternative noncustodial programs.