On an average day in 2006-07 around 6,000 young people in
Australia were under juvenile justice supervision. Around 5,000
were in community-based supervision and about 1,000 were in
detention, according to a new report, released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
'Four out of every 1,000 young people in the 10-17 years age
bracket were in community-based supervision at some time during the
year, while around 2 per 1,000 were detained,' said Ms Rachel
Aalders of the Institute's Community Services Integration and
Linkage Unit.
During the four years from 2003-04 to 2006-07, the overall
number and rate of young people in supervision remained relatively
stable, but while the number and rate of those in community-based
supervision reached a four-year low in 2006-07, the number and rate
of young people in detention reached a high point in 2006-07.
As in past reports, this report, Juvenile justice in
Australia 2006-07, found that Indigenous young people continue
to be over-represented in the juvenile justice system.
'Although only 5% of Australians aged 10-17 years are Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islanders, over a third (36%) of those who had
supervision in 2006-07 were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
young people, Ms Aalders said.
'On an average day, over a third of those in community-based
supervision and nearly half of those in detention were Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander young people,' she said.
Of those aged 10-17 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
young people were nearly 14 times as likely to have supervision in
2006-07 as non-Indigenous young people.
Indigenous young people in supervision are also more likely to
be younger than non-Indigenous young people and they are more
likely to have entered supervision for the first time at a younger
age.
Of those aged 10-17 years in Australia, males were five times as
likely to have supervision some time during the year as females. On
an average day, 84% of those in community-based supervision were
male and 92% of those in detention were male.
Two-thirds of those in supervision were aged 16 years or older
and only 3% were aged 12 or younger.
Wednesday 27 August 2008
Further information: Rachel Aalders, AIHW, 02
6244 1112, mob. 0407 915 851.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for the availability of Juvenile justice in
Australia 2006-07.