News
Content note: contains reference to suicide.
The National Children's Commissioner is calling on the government to be more proactive when it comes to the health and mental well-being of children in the justice system.
Jacqueline McGowan Jones, the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Western Australia, says there is a sense of futility when the community is not overwhelmed with grief and anger about children dying whilst incarcerated.
This comes following the suicides of two First Nations teenagers in Western Australia.
Stop demonising our children and blaming them for circumstances they are born into over which they have no control.
National Children’s Commissioner, Anne Hollonds, fronted the media with her state and territory counterparts today. Ms Hollonds says she is concerned Australia is going backwards when it comes to children’s wellbeing.
“The Federal Government needs to listen to the evidence and to step up to make child wellbeing a national priority,” Hollonds said.
Jodie Griffiths Cook, the Children and Young People Commissioner in the ACT, made a point of mentioning that many young people in incarceration have undiagnosed disabilities.
“Kids who are involved and who find themselves within detention facilities across Australia have disability needs that have never been recognised, never been appropriately assessed, and certainly not appropriately responded to.”
She argues that Australia would see a reduction in child incarceration if the justice system were to stop criminalising circumstances which children have no control over.
According to the ‘Help way earlier!’ report, incarcerated children aged 10–13 are more likely to experience future criminal justice involvement. They are also more likely to have a neurodisability.
In a nationwide survey, more than one in five children and young people indicated that they had a disability and had poor access to appropriate support services.
A senate inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system is currently hearing from members of the public.
Shona Reid, the Guardian for Children and Young People in South Australia, says there are operational issues that sit within youth detentions.
It's so important that we're able to structure our programs, our services, and also a foundational operation model that caters to the needs of children and young people with those disability needs.
Ms Reid reasons the community would expect governing bodies to invest in children while they're in the justice system so they can be supported, make better decisions, and access services when they’re released into the community.
“We need to remember what we do to children today will absolutely impact the way they engage with our society later down the track.”