Overview

The youth justice system is the set of processes and practices for managing children and young people who have committed, or allegedly committed, an offence. In Australia, it deals primarily with young people aged 10–17 at the time of the offence, although there are some variations among the states and territories. A major component of the system is the supervision of young people in the community or in detention.

More reports and statistics on youth justice can be found under Children & youth and Prisoners.

Latest findings

Most (83%) young people in detention were aged 10–17, the remainder (17%) were aged 18 and older Individual periods of supervision that were completed during 2018–19 lasted for a median of 132 days (over 4 months). 63% of young people in detention were unsentenced—that is, awaiting the outcome of their legal matter or sentencing. On an average night in the June quarter 2019, 949 young people were in detention 63% of young people in detention on an average night in the June quarter 2019 were unsentenced More than half (53%) of all young people in detention on an average night in the June quarter 2019 were Indigenous The detention rate for young people aged 10–17 fluctuated, at 2.8–3.5 per 10,000 each quarter over the 4-year period Indigenous young people aged 10–17 made up 50% of those under youth justice supervision. On an average night in the June quarter 2019, 90% of young people in detention were male On an average day in 2018–19, 5,694 young people aged 10 and over were under youth justice supervision. Of young people under supervision on an average day, 84% were supervised in the community and 17% were in detention.

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Highlights

1 in 489young people (or 20 per 10,000) aged 10–17 were under youth justice supervision in Australia on an average day in 2018–19
Half(50%) of young people under supervision aged 10–17 on an average day in 2018–19 were Indigenous
6 monthsmonths was the average amount of time spent under supervision during 2018–19
4 in 5young people under supervision on an average day were male (80%)
84%of young people under supervision on an average day were supervised in the community, with the remainder in detention