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.

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Latest findings

Individual periods of supervision that were completed during 2020–21 lasted for a median of 124 days (about 4 months)

On an average day in 2020–21, 4,695 young people aged 10 and over were under youth justice supervision

72% 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 2021, 819 young people were in detention

Most (83%) young people in detention were aged 10–17, the remainder (17%) were aged 18 and older

The detention rate for young people aged 10–17 was down slightly over the 4-year period from 3.5 to 2.7 per 10,000

Highlights

4,695young people (or 14 per 10,000) aged 10–17 were under youth justice supervision in Australia on an average day in 2020–21
4 in 5(81%) young people under supervision on an average day were male
6 monthswas the average amount of time spent under supervision during 2020–21
Half(49%) of young people under supervision aged 10–17 on an average day in 2020–21 were Indigenous
84%of young people under supervision on an average day were supervised in the community, with the remainder in detention