Young people who offend need rehabilitation, diversionary programs, activities and education and employment opportunities to break the cycle of crime. These require funding and resources, but they are investments because they work and give vulnerable young people better life prospects. Unfortunately, the government has responded to increased reports of crime in rural and regional areas by making it harder for young people to get bail if they reoffend and by adding circumstances that enable sentences to be increased.

When young people end up in prison and juvenile detention, it often sets them up for a lifetime of disadvantage and reoffending that can last generations. The new laws will disproportionately impact on First Nations young people and will take us further from achieving our Closing the Gap targets. In Parliament I opposed the laws and again called for a better way of dealing with youth offending.  

My speech on the bill > HERE