As a health promotion charity, ARACY’s principal activity is to promote the prevention and control of disease. Engagement with justice systems is both a cause and outcome of health problems: engagement with the justice system causes disease, while health problems and social determinants contribute to offending. We therefore focus on addressing the root causes of youth crime through a holistic health and wellbeing lens. In our submission to the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system, we highlight how a public health model can significantly improve outcomes for young people, reducing their likelihood of entering the justice system and the subsequent health and social flow-on effects.

Here are ARACY’s top 10 recommendations to transform Australia’s youth justice system with a health promotion focus:

1. Invest in Early Childhood

The best way to prevent youth crime is by addressing risks early in life. Nourishing a child’s brain and supporting parents to do their best during their child’s first 1000 days of life is the most important thing we can do to support healthy development. Doing so gives children the opportunity to have the best start in life. National rollout of early intervention programs, such as the right@home nurse home visiting service being piloted by a consortium that includes ARACY. This can help break down unfair barriers for families and can prevent the onset of developmental issues that significantly increase the likelihood of offending later in life.

Systemic racial discrimination is a public health issue. By addressing racial inequities across services that interact with young people, including the justice system, we can reduce the drivers of crime and improve the outcomes of marginalised young people.

The over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the justice system is deeply tied to health and social disparities, including historical trauma, intergenerational disadvantage, and discrimination. A genuine partnership with First Nations communities, promoting self-determination, can ensure culturally appropriate promotion of health and wellbeing and assist in achieving Closing the Gap targets and outcomes.

The current education system creates an “artificial disconnect between health, wellbeing, and learning”. Engagement with education is a potent protective factor against not only offending but multiple health and social outcomes. Schools should be equipped with the resources and agenda to empower students to cultivate health, learning, and overall wellbeing, as described in the landmark Reinventing Australian Schools vision.

To prevent youth offending, we must address the social determinants of health holistically and across a young person’s life. This includes historical trauma, intergenerational disadvantage, child maltreatment, poverty, discrimination, and family violence. These are key drivers of both disease and youth crime. By intervening early, consistently, and holistically throughout children and young people’s lives, we can break cycles of poor health and justice involvement.

Children and young people with lived experience in the justice system often face significant challenges across multiple health causes. Their insights are invaluable in shaping policies that effectively address the needs of at-risk youth, leading to healthier, more supportive environments.

Evidence shows that early criminalisation exacerbates negative health outcomes, including poor mental health and increased risk of disease. The current minimum age across most of Australia is just 10 years old, eliciting international criticism. Raising the age aligns with public health principles by preventing the detrimental impact of incarceration on children’s health.

Diversion programs connect at-risk youth to health services, preventing the escalation of mental health issues, substance use disorders, and other health conditions that contribute to offending. They also avoid jail time, which can exacerbate underlying trauma and mental health issues and promote further offending. These programs can help young people control their health risks instead of facing punitive measures.

People in contact with the justice system often have undiagnosed health conditions, especially hearing impairment and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), which can contribute to offending and make exiting the justice system an even greater challenge. Given the overlap between child protection and youth justice systems, all children at first contact with either system should be screened. Queensland has become the first state to start screening young offenders for neurodevelopmental conditions including ADHD. Early screening allows for targeted health interventions to prevent the exacerbation of these issues.

Frontline workers in youth justice and child protection need evidence-based tools. ARACY’s Common Approach empowers frontline workers to address the full spectrum of young people’s wellbeing needs, including mental and physical health, monetary and housing needs, education, family dynamics, and cultural considerations, ensuring children and young people are provided the holistic support they need.

ARACY is committed to improving outcomes for all young Australians. Embedding public health principles into youth justice reform means refocusing on the root causes of youth offending and providing proportionate investment in tackling these root causes, which yields the greatest social and economic returns. We therefore would like to see a youth justice system that provides dedicated funding to preventative activities alongside diversionary and rehabilitative measures. These recommendations are designed to improve the long-term health outcomes of all young Australians, ensuring they have the support needed to thrive.

Dr Kristy Noble

Want to work with ARACY to reform Youth Justice policy in Australia? Partner with us

As a Health Promotion Charity, ARACY’s principal activity is to promote the prevention and control of disease. Engagement with justice systems is both a cause and outcome of health problems: engagement with the justice system causes disease, while health problems and social determinants contribute to offending. We therefore focus on addressing the root causes of youth crime through a holistic health and wellbeing lens. In our submission to the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system, we highlight how a public health model can significantly improve outcomes for young people, reducing their likelihood of entering the justice system and the subsequent health and social flow-on effects.

Here are ARACY’s top 10 recommendations to transform Australia’s youth justice system with a health promotion focus:

1. Invest in Early Childhood

The best way to prevent youth crime is by addressing risks early in life. Nourishing a child’s brain and supporting parents to do their best during their child’s first 1000 days of life is the most important thing we can do to support healthy development. Doing so gives children the opportunity to have the best start in life. National rollout of early intervention programs, such as the right@home nurse home visiting service being piloted by a consortium that includes ARACY. This can help break down unfair barriers for families and can prevent the onset of developmental issues that significantly increase the likelihood of offending later in life.

2. Tackle Racial Discrimination as a Health Risk

Systemic racial discrimination is a public health issue. By addressing racial inequities across services that interact with young people, including the justice system, we can reduce the drivers of crime and improve the outcomes of marginalised young people.

3. Promote Self-Determination Among First Nations Communities

The over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the justice system is deeply tied to health and social disparities, including historical trauma, intergenerational disadvantage, and discrimination. A genuine partnership with First Nations communities, promoting self-determination, can ensure culturally appropriate promotion of health and wellbeing and assist in achieving Closing the Gap targets and outcomes.


 

 

4. Reorient Education to Promote Health and Wellbeing

The current education system creates an “artificial disconnect between health, wellbeing, and learning”. Engagement with education is a potent protective factor against not only offending but multiple health and social outcomes. Schools should be equipped with the resources and agenda to empower students to cultivate health, learning, and overall wellbeing, as described in the landmark Reinventing Australian Schools vision.

5. Focus on Holistic Interventions Throughout Young People’s Lives

To prevent youth offending, we must address the social determinants of health holistically and across a young person’s life. This includes historical trauma, intergenerational disadvantage, child maltreatment, poverty, discrimination, and family violence. These are key drivers of both disease and youth crime. By intervening early, consistently, and holistically throughout children and young people’s lives, we can break cycles of poor health and justice involvement.

6. Listen to Youth with Lived Experience to Inform Policies

Children and young people with lived experience in the justice system often face significant challenges across multiple health causes. Their insights are invaluable in shaping policies that effectively address the needs of at-risk youth, leading to healthier, more supportive environments.

7. Raise the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility to 14

Evidence shows that early criminalisation exacerbates negative health outcomes, including poor mental health and increased risk of disease. The current minimum age across most of Australia is just 10 years old, eliciting international criticism. Raising the age aligns with public health principles by preventing the detrimental impact of incarceration on children’s health.

8. Expand Health-Focused Diversion Programs

Diversion programs connect at-risk youth to health services, preventing the escalation of mental health issues, substance use disorders, and other health conditions that contribute to offending. They also avoid jail time, which can exacerbate underlying trauma and mental health issues and promote further offending. These programs can help young people control their health risks instead of facing punitive measures.

9. Provide Health Screening for At-Risk Youth

People in contact with the justice system often have undiagnosed health conditions, especially hearing impairment and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), which can contribute to offending and make exiting the justice system an even greater challenge. Given the overlap between child protection and youth justice systems, all children at first contact with either system should be screened. Queensland has become the first state to start screening young offenders for neurodevelopmental conditions including ADHD. Early screening allows for targeted health interventions to prevent the exacerbation of these issues.

10. Roll Out ARACY’s Common Approach Wellbeing Training to Frontline Workers

Frontline workers in youth justice and child protection need evidence-based tools. ARACY’s Common Approach empowers frontline workers to address the full spectrum of young people’s wellbeing needs, including mental and physical health, monetary and housing needs, education, family dynamics, and cultural considerations, ensuring children and young people are provided the holistic support they need.

 

 

ARACY is committed to improving outcomes for all young Australians. Embedding public health principles into youth justice reform means refocusing on the root causes of youth offending and providing proportionate investment in tackling these root causes, which yields the greatest social and economic returns. We therefore would like to see a youth justice system that provides dedicated funding to preventative activities alongside diversionary and rehabilitative measures. These recommendations are designed to improve the long-term health outcomes of all young Australians, ensuring they have the support needed to thrive.

For more information read our full submission to the Senate Inquiry.

Want to work with ARACY to reform Youth Justice policy in Australia? Partner with us

Dr Kristy Noble