First Nations young people in detention by state and territory

The rates for the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory are for young people aged 10–17 between June quarter 2020 and June quarter 2023, and for young people aged 12–17 during 2023-24. This is because the minimum age of criminal responsibility was increased to 12 in these jurisdictions during 2023.

For ease of interpretation, this report will refer to rates for young people aged 10–17, even when the rates are for the 12–17 population (Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory in 2023–24).

For more information see Technical notes – Rates.

On an average night in the June quarter 2024, First Nations young people aged 10–17 were more likely to be in detention than non-Indigenous young people across all states and territories. Of the states and territories:

  • the Northern Territory and Queensland had the highest rates of First Nations young people aged 10–17 in detention (46 and 42 per 10,000, respectively)
  • Victoria had the lowest rate (5.8 per 10,000) of First Nations young people aged 10–17 in detention
  • the rate of detention for non-Indigenous young people was highest in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (2.6 and 2.1 per 10,000).

Among the states and territories for which rate ratios could be calculated, the rate ratio for First Nations young people aged 10–17 in detention ranged from 3.5 times the non-Indigenous rate in Tasmania to 28 times in Queensland (Figure 2.4).

Rates were not calculated due to small numbers for First Nations young people aged 10–17 in the Australian Capital Territory, and for non-Indigenous young people aged 10–17 in the Northern Territory.

On an average night over the 4-year period (June quarter 2020 to June quarter 2024) the rate of First Nations young people aged 10–17 in detention:

  • increased in the Northern Territory (from 14 to 46 per 10,000), Queensland (from 29 to 42 per 10,000) and New South Wales (11 to 21 per 10,000)
  • fell in Western Australia (from 36 to 25 per 10,000) and Victoria (from 9.9 to 5.8 per 10,000)
  • remained steady in South Australia (at 19 per 10,000)
  • the rate increase in the Northern Territory is consistent with increases in the number of young people in detention (numerator) and decreases in the total in-scope population (denominator), as per the increased age of criminal responsibility in the Northern Territory from 10 to 12 years old in 2023-24. These rates are not comparable with those prior to 2023-24 for the Northern Territory, which include all young people aged 10–17 in the denominator.

The rate of non-Indigenous young people aged 10–17 in detention:

  • increased in Queensland (from 1.1 to 1.5 per 10,000) and Tasmania (1.6 to 2.6 per 10,000)
  • fell in New South Wales (from 1.2 to 0.9 per 10,000), Victoria (from 1.7 to 0.5 per 10,000), Western Australia (from 1.2 to 1.0 per 10,000) and the Australian Capital Territory (from 2.2 to 2.1)
  • remained steady in South Australia (at 0.8 per 10,000).

The rate ratio has been consistently lowest in Victoria, at 4–14 times the non-Indigenous rate. The rate ratio was consistently highest in Western Australia until June quarter 2023, ranging from a high of 52 times the non-Indigenous rate in June quarter 2021 to a low of 23 in December quarter 2023 (Figure 2.4). Since June quarter 2023, the highest rate ratio has alternated between Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

Figure 2.4: First Nations young people in detention, by state and territory, June quarter 2020 to June quarter 2024 (number, rate and rate ratio)

Queensland had the highest number of young people in detention over the 4-year period.

Queensland had the highest number of young people in detention over the 4-year period.

Notes

  1. Trend data may differ from those previously published due to data revisions.
  2. For data extracted from the Youth Justice National Minimum Data Set (YJ NMDS), age is calculated at the start of the relevant quarter unless the period of detention began within the quarter or the young person had a birthday, in which case age is calculated as at the start of that period or from their birthday.
  3. Northern Territory data may be affected by legislation implemented in May 2021 which led to key changes in youth justice processes.
  4. Rates are the number of young people per 10,000 relevant population.
  5. Rates are not published where there were fewer than 5 young people.
  6. Trends among small populations should be interpreted with caution. Numbers tend to fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to random variation, and this might affect the appearance and interpretation of trends.
  7. Rate ratio is calculated by dividing the First Nations rate by the non-Indigenous rate.
  8. Blank observations in the rate ratio figure are due to unpublished rates. Where there were fewer than 5 young people, rates and rate ratios are not calculated. There might be instances when a numerator is presented as 5, and the rate is not calculated due to rounding (see Technical notes).
  9. Rate ratios for most quarters are not available for Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory due to small numbers.
  10. In August 2023, the Northern Territory raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. The rates for the Northern Territory in 2023-24 are for young people aged 12–17.
  11. In November 2023, the Australian Capital Territory raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12. The rates for the Australian Capital Territory in 2023-24 are for young people aged 12–17.

Source: Supplementary tables S11 and S18.

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