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On an average day in 2023–24, 4,227 young people aged 10 and over were under youth justice supervision in Australia (Figure 2.1; Table 2.1a). A total of 9,224 young people were supervised at some time during the year (Table S1b).

On an average day, most young people aged 10 and over who were under supervision were supervised in the community (82%) – the remainder (20%) were in detention (Tables S1a, S34a and S72a). (Proportions may not sum to 100% as some young people are supervised under community-based supervision and detention on the same day.)

Although relatively few young people were in detention on an average day, about half (50%, or 4,578) of all young people who were supervised during 2023–24 had been in detention at some time during the year (Figure 2.1).

A high proportion of young people who were supervised during 2023–24 had also been under community-based supervision at some point during the year (87% or 8,031). The high proportions of young people under community-based supervision and detention during the year reflect the fact that young people often experience both community-based supervision and detention during the year (Figure 2.1).

Additionally, the difference between the number in detention on an average day and the number who had been in detention during the year reflects the fact that most young people typically spend a short time in detention (see Appendix A2: technical information).

Figure 2.1: Young people under supervision on an average day and during the year, by supervision type, 2023–24 (number and rate)

See following for extended description.

  1. Rates are presented for young people aged 10–17.

Notes

  1. The average daily number of all supervision will not equal the sum of community-based supervision and detention because young people can be in both types of supervision on the same day.
  2. Young people can be in both community-based supervision and detention during the year so the sum of these types of supervision will not be equal to the total number of young people under youth justice supervision.
  3. The number and rate of young people on an average day is not available for the Northern Territory in 2023–24 for all supervision and community-based supervision.
  4. Rates for the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory in 2023–24 are for young people aged 12–17 due to the increase to the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 in those jurisdictions.

Source: tables S1a, S1b, S4a, S4b, S34a, S34b, S37a, S37b, S72a, S72b, S75a and S75b.

The rate of young people aged 10–17 under youth justice supervision on an average day was about 12 per 10,000 (Figure 2.1).

On an average day, the rate of young people aged 10–17 under community-based supervision was 10 per 10,000 and the rate for those in detention was 2.7 per 10,000 (Table 2.1b).

Table 2.1a: Number of young people under supervision, by supervision type and state and territory, 2023–24
Type of supervisionNSWVicQldWASATasACT*NT*Australia
Community – Average day(a)795.1423.21,288.8516.4262.6107.277.5*n.a.*3,470.6
Detention – Average day(a)217.093.1318.387.232.116.316.5*46.2*826.8
All supervision – Average day(a)1,006.7514.01,597.9599.4292.4123.093.3*n.a.*4,226.7
Community – During the year1,7079382,4721,276560206155*717*8,031
Detention – During the year1,5003531,11480031777112*305*4,578
All supervision – During the year2,4219742,5651,504626226181*727*9,224

Footnotes and notes are provided following Table 2.1b.

Table 2.1b: Rate (per 10,000) of young people under supervision, by supervision type and state and territory, 2023–24
Type of supervisionNSWVicQldWASATasACT*NT*Australia
Community – Average day(a)8.83.315.714.612.214.517.1*n.a.*10.0
Detention – Average day(a)2.10.85.12.91.72.93.9*21.6*2.7
All supervision – Average day(a)10.94.120.617.413.817.320.8*n.a.*12.5
Community – During the year19.78.134.139.927.830.941.9*252.8*25.1
Detention – During the year17.24.218.726.617.314.234.0*149.9*16.5
All supervision – During the year27.68.535.947.831.134.648.6*260.2*29.4

(Footnotes and notes for tables 2.1a and 2.1b)

* Numbers and rates for the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory in 2023–24 are for young people aged 12–17 due to the increase to the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 in those jurisdictions.

  1. Numbers of young people on an average day might not sum to the total due to rounding, and because some young people might have moved between community-based supervision and detention on the same day.

Notes

  1. Numbers of young people on an average day represent all young people aged 10 and over under youth justice supervision. This includes some young people aged 18 and over. Rates are age specific and are calculated for young people aged 10–17 as this is the core age group of the youth justice population.
  2. For more information about 'average day' and 'during the year' measures, see Appendix A1: Data quality and Appendix A2: technical information.
  3. Age on an average day is calculated based on the age a young person is each day that they are under supervision. If a young person changes age during a period of supervision, the average daily number under supervision will reflect this. Average daily data broken down by age will not be comparable with data in Youth justice in Australia releases before 2019–20.
  4. The number and rate of young people on an average day is not available for the Northern Territory in 2023–24 for all supervision and community-based supervision.

Source: tables S1, S4, S34, S37, S72 and S75.

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