Peoples Progressive Party Youth Crime Policy

Having experienced firsthand the failures of our current youth justice system, which too often perpetuates a cycle of disadvantage and recidivism, I am committed to developing policies that break this cycle through education, skill-building, and real pathways to a better future. At the same time, I recognize the need for firm consequences for serious and violent offenses to keep our communities safe. Drawing on my unique perspective and legal training, I propose the following balanced, innovative approach to youth justice reform.

Principles

• Education and skill-building are the most powerful tools for preventing and rehabilitating youth crime

• Consequences for offending should be proportionate, constructive and rehabilitative wherever possible

• Detention should be a last resort, reserved for the most serious violent offenses

• Violent crime demands a firm response to ensure community safety and victim justice

• All young people, including offenders, have the potential to change and deserve the chance to build a better future

• Rehabilitation requires real opportunities and ongoing support, not just punishment

• The specific needs and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people must be central in all youth justice policy

• Education and skill-building are the most powerful tools for preventing and rehabilitating youth crime

• Detention should be a last resort, reserved for the most serious violent offenses

• All young people, including offenders, have the potential to change and deserve the chance to build a better future

• The specific needs and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people must be central in all youth justice policy

• Consequences for offending should be proportionate, constructive and rehabilitative wherever possible

• Violent crime demands a firm response to ensure community safety and victim justice

• Rehabilitation requires real opportunities and ongoing support, not just punishment

Policy Initiatives

• Establish a new category of 'serious violent offenses' with mandatory minimum sentences and restricted parole eligibility.

• Create specialized Violent Offender Units within Corrective Services to provide intensive supervision and intervention for high-risk violent offenders.

• Implement a 'two-strikes' policy mandating maximum sentences for serious violent or sexual offenses committed by individuals with a prior conviction for such crimes.

• Increase penalties for violence against vulnerable groups including children, elders, and domestic/family violence victims.

• Expand victim support services including compensation, counselling, and enhanced protections in the judicial process.

• Establish a new category of 'serious violent offenses' with mandatory minimum sentences and restricted parole eligibility.

• Create specialized Violent Offender Units within Corrective Services to provide intensive supervision and intervention for high-risk violent offenders.

• Implement a 'two-strikes' policy mandating maximum sentences for serious violent or sexual offenses committed by individuals with a prior conviction for such crimes.

• Increase penalties for violence against vulnerable groups including children, elders, and domestic/family violence victims.

• Expand victim support services including compensation, counselling, and enhanced protections in the judicial process.

Education as Rehabilitation

• Establish an 'Education Not Incarceration' program where young offenders serve their sentences through intensive, full-time participation in education and vocational training

• Develop a network of specialized youth justice education centers staffed by expert educators and youth workers

• Provide individualized case management to address each young person's learning needs, mental health, and social challenges

• Offer a mix of traditional academic subjects, life skills, civic education, and arts/sports programs to engage diverse interests

• Partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organizations to embed culturally responsive pedagogy and content

• Completion of education orders to be recognized in sentencing and parole decisions

Apprenticeship Pathways

• Create a 'Skills for Freedom' program offering youth offenders priority access to apprenticeships and traineeships in high-demand fields

• Partner with employers, unions and training organizations to co-design apprenticeship pathways aligned to labor market needs

• Provide wraparound mentoring, counselling and social support to help young people succeed in their placements

• Explore models for 'apprenticeship bonds' where completion of a qualification earns a substantial reduction in sentence

• Offer ongoing career guidance and job placement support for graduates

Therapeutic Approaches

• Expand access to specialized youth forensic mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment, and trauma counselling for young offenders

• Establish multi-disciplinary case management teams to coordinate rehabilitation plans and support reintegration

• Introduce youth justice conferencing for eligible offenses to provide a restorative approach promoting accountability and victim empowerment

• Invest in Aboriginal-led healing programs incorporating culture and country for Indigenous youth

Detention as a Last Resort

• Limit the use of youth detention to serious violent offenses through legislative reform

• Transform large youth prisons into smaller therapeutic facilities focused on intensive rehabilitation

• Ensure detention includes access to education, mental health care, and transition planning

• Establish supported transitional housing for young people exiting detention without safe accommodation

• Limit the use of youth detention to serious violent offenses through legislative reform

• Transform large youth prisons into smaller therapeutic facilities focused on intensive rehabilitation

• Ensure detention includes access to education, mental health care, and transition planning

• Establish supported transitional housing for young people exiting detention without safe accommodation

Firm Response to Violence

• Maintain detention as a sentencing option for the most severe violent crimes to protect community safety

• Introduce mandatory minimum sentences for certain violent offenses coupled with incentives for participation in rehabilitation

• Ensure detention conditions and treatment of violent offenders comply with human rights obligations

• Provide victim support services including counselling, financial assistance and restorative justice options where desired

Implementation

By coupling firm consequences for violent crime with genuine opportunities for education, skill-building and rehabilitation, we can hold young offenders accountable while equipping them to build positive futures. This balanced approach, informed by lived experience and evidence, offers a powerful alternative to failed 'tough on crime' policies of the past. I urge The Peoples Progressive Party to champion this vision for a youth justice system that combines community safety with transformative human potential.

Conclusion

The Peoples Progressive Party's Comprehensive Education Policy represents a bold vision for a world-class education system that empowers every individual to reach their full potential. By investing in lifelong learning, equity, and global competence, we can build a stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous Australia. We believe that education is the key to unlocking a brighter future for all, and we are committed to making this vision a reality.

Implementation

By coupling firm consequences for violent crime with genuine opportunities for education, skill-building and rehabilitation, we can hold young offenders accountable while equipping them to build positive futures. This balanced approach, informed by lived experience and evidence, offers a powerful alternative to failed 'tough on crime' policies of the past. I urge the People's Party to champion this vision for a youth justice system that combines community safety with transformative human potential.

Conclusion

The Peoples Party's Comprehensive Education Policy represents a bold vision for a world-class education system that empowers every individual to reach their full potential. By investing in lifelong learning, equity, and global competence, we can build a stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous Australia. We believe that education is the key to unlocking a brighter future for all, and we are committed to making this vision a reality.

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