In 2010–11, there were an estimated 7,265 young people under juvenile justice supervision in Australia on an average day. This equates to 2.6 young people (aged 10–17) under supervision for every 1,000 in the population. (Western Australia and the Northern Territory did not participate in the Juvenile Justice National Minimum Data Set during 2010–11. Where possible, estimates for these jurisdictions are included in national totals.)
On an average day, most (86%) young people were supervised in the community, and the remainder were in detention.
Most young people under supervision were young men. On an average day they accounted for 82% of young people supervised in the community, and 92% in detention.
Most of those under supervision were in the older age groups—nearly 80% were in the 14–17 age group, 15% were aged 18 and over, and only 6% were aged 10–13.
Although only around 5% of young Australians are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, almost 40% of young people under supervision were Indigenous. This proportion was highest among young people in detention, where almost half were Indigenous.