The proportion of young people who experienced unsentenced detention
About 3 in 4 (74%) young people in detention on an average night in the June quarter 2024 were unsentenced – that is, they were awaiting their initial court appearance or sentencing. The remainder were serving a sentence. (This proportion was calculated using the Australia total excluding the Northern Territory, as data for legal status were unavailable in the Northern Territory from September quarter 2023 to June quarter 2024).
For more information see Trends in sentenced and unsentenced detention.
Legal status of young people in detention
In Australia, young people who are charged with, or proven guilty of, criminal offences may be supervised by state and territory youth justice agencies. Supervision may take place either in the community or in detention facilities.
This report looks at trends in the numbers and rates of young people in secure detention facilities in Australia due to their involvement or alleged involvement in crime.
Young people might be in detention while they are:
- unsentenced – that is, awaiting their initial court appearance, or awaiting sentencing after being found or pleading guilty
- sentenced – when they have been found guilty in court and have received a legal order to serve a period of detention.
Whether a young person is unsentenced or sentenced is known as their ‘legal status’.