Youth justice in Australia 2023–24

The size of youth justice populations in states and territories can be impacted by the population size of that state or territory, as well as by differences in state-based legislation, policies and practices, including the available types of supervised orders and options for diversion.

Among the states and territories, Queensland and New South Wales accounted for more than half of all young people under supervision on an average day, regardless of supervision type.

Young people in Queensland made up:

• 38% of all young people under supervision
• 37% of all young people under community-based supervision
• 38% of all young people under detention (Table 2.1a).

Young people in New South Wales made up:

• 24% of all young people under supervision
• 23% of all young people under community-based supervision
• 26% of all young people under detention (Figure 2.2; Table S1a).

Figure 2.2: Young people under supervision on an average day, by supervision type and state and territory, 2023–24 (number)

Notes

1. The number of young people under community-based supervision on an average day not available for the Northern Territory in 2023–24.
2. Average day numbers for the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory are for young people aged 12–17 due to the increase to the minimum age of criminal responsibility in these jurisdictions.

Source: tables S34a and S72a.

On an average day in 2023–24, rates of young people aged 10–17 under supervision varied among the states and territories (Figure 2.3; Table 2.1b). Rates of young people:

• under any type of supervision were lowest in Victoria (4.1 per 10,000) and highest Queensland (21 per 10,000)
• under community-based supervision ranged from 3.3 per 10,000 in Victoria to 16 per 10,000 in Queensland
• in detention ranged from 0.8 per 10,000 in Victoria to 5.1 in Queensland.

On an average day in 2023–24, rates of young people aged 12–17 under supervision were:

• 21 per 10,000 for young people under any type of supervision in the Australian Capital Territory
• 17 per 10,000 for young people under community-based supervision in the Australian Capital Territory
• 3.9 per 10,000 for young people in detention in the Australian Capital Territory, and 22 per 10,000 for young people in the Northern Territory.

Note that rates in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory for 2023–24 are for young people aged 12–17 following the increase to the minimum age of criminal responsibility and are not directly comparable with rates in previous years.

Figure 2.3: Young people under supervision on an average day, by supervision type and state and territory, 2023–24 (number per 10,000)

Notes

1. 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.
2. The number and rate of young people on an average day not available for the Northern Territory in 2023–24 for all supervision and community-based supervision.
3. 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. Rates for all other jurisdictions are for young people aged 10 to 17.

Source: Table 2.1b.