NCJ Number
230378
Date Published
March 2010
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study examined young offenders contact with the Queensland, Australia juvenile justice system.
Abstract
Findings from the study indicate that Indigenous young people were more likely to have contact with the Queensland juvenile justice system than were non-Indigenous young people. Findings also indicate that Indigenous young people were more likely to appear in court for their first offense than were non-Indigenous young people. The sample for this study included 8,236 young people born in 1990 who had contact with the Queensland juvenile justice system between 2000 and 2007 and were between the ages of 10 and 16 at the time of contact. The study addressed three questions: what proportion of Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people had contact with the system and what was the extent of the contact; what processes were used to respond to Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people and was there disparity in the response based on Indigenous status; and what impact did police diversion have on Indigenous and non-Indigenous young persons' re-contact with the juvenile justice system? The results from the study provide evidence that Indigenous young people are over-represented in the criminal justice system and these high rates of Indigenous contact indicate a need for early intervention programs aimed at Indigenous people. Recommendations for further research are discussed. Tables and references