NCJ Number
212086
Date Published
2003
Length
89 pages
Annotation
This report provides data on the characteristics of youth, ages 12-25, being processed in the justice system of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in 2001-2002.
Abstract
In 2001-2002 there were 2,571 youth between the ages of 12 and 25 who had been charged by the police, and 1,679 (2.4 percent) appeared before ACT courts. A total of 439, ages 12 to 18, were serving court orders in the juvenile justice system. Of these, 434 were under community-based orders, and 5 were remanded but released from court with no further involvement with Youth Justice Services. A total of 451 were serving court orders in the adult justice system, including 350 serving community orders, 171 in detention, 20 on periodic detention, and 29 committed to New South Wales prisons. Approximately four out of five youth in the ACT justice system were male. Among Indigenous people 12-18 years old, however, the proportion of females was relatively higher than in the general population. Indigenous youth as a whole were overrepresented in the ACT justice system in 2001-2002. The main offense types for all offenders were theft, assault, burglary, and motor vehicle offenses. Based on this data, the report recommends reviews of the instances of cautions and diversionary conferencing, the higher proportion of youth 16-17 years old, the high number of males, the overrepresentation of Indigenous youth, and the lack of comprehensive data on young offenders and a mechanism for tracking them through the justice system so as to ensure they receive adequate support and rehabilitation. Extensive tabular and graphic data and 16 references