Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory
The CIJ provided a submission into the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in NT which argues that the detention of children and young people should not be countenanced.
If young people continue to be held in places of detention, then they must be given access to education, and any youth justice system responses to them must be trauma informed and culturally appropriate. Until this occurs, children and young people will continue to be propelled into the criminal justice system, following a trajectory from victim to offender.
This submission also notes that youth detention is costly and ineffective, asking whether it may be possible to respond instead with innovative alternatives that address the underlying issues rather than their symptoms.
