Youth justice in Australia 2023–24

National

Nationally, the rate of young people aged 10–17 under youth justice supervision on an average day fell over the 10 years to 2023–24, from 20 per 10,000 in 2014–15 to 12 per 10,000 in 2023–24 (Figure 9.3).

Similarly, the rate of young people under supervision during each year (rather than on an average day) fell steadily from 43 per 10,000 in 2014–15 to 29 per 10,000 in 2023–24 (Table S15b).

This trend is largely associated with changes in the rate of community-based supervision, as 82% of all young people under supervision on an average day were supervised in the community (Table 2.1a). The rate of community-based supervision for young people aged 10–17 on an average day decreased over the years from 17 per 10,000 in 2014–15, to 10 per 10,000 in 2023–24 (Figure 9.3).

The rate of young people in detention was slightly lower in 2023–24 compared with 2014–15 (2.7 per 10,000 compared with 3.1 per 10,000).

Figure 9.3: Trends in young people under supervision on an average day, by supervision type, 2014–15 to 2023–24

Notes

1. Trend data might differ from those previously published due to data revisions.
2. 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.
3. The number and rate of young people in the Northern Territory is not available for 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. The rates for all other jurisdictions are for young people aged 10 to 17.

Source: tables S15a, S48a and S86a

States and territories

On an average day from 2014–15 to 2023–24, Victoria had the lowest rate of supervision each year, at fewer than 13 per 10,000 young people throughout the period (Figure 9.4).

The rate of young people aged 10–17 under supervision on an average day declined over the 10 years in all states and territories.

In the Northern Territory, the rate of supervision was 52 per 10,000 in 2014–15 before falling to its lowest point (38 per 10,000) in 2020–21 then increasing substantially in 2022–23 (79 per 10,000) (note that Northern Territory average day data was not available in 2023–24). In Tasmania, the rate fluctuated with a low in 2021–22 (12 per 10,000) and a high in 2018–19 (23 per 10,000). Rates in Queensland fluctuated over the 10-year period and were lowest in 2023–24 (21 per 10,000). Prior to the increase in the minimum age of criminal responsibility in 2023–24, rates in the Australian Capital Territory fell almost consistently from 2014–15 to 2022–23 (with the exception of 2017–18).

The rate of supervision declined in each of the last 10 years in Victoria, New South Wales (with the exception of 2015–16), and Western Australia (with the exception of 2021–22 and 2022–23). Rates in South Australia fluctuated over the 10-year period and were lowest in 2020–21 (9.7 per 10,000) (Figure 9.4).

Figure 9.4: Trends in young people under supervision on an average day, by state and territory, 2014–15 to 2023–24

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. In Queensland, legislation to increase the age limit in the youth justice system from 16 to 17 was enacted in February 2018. This change resulted in an increase in the number and rate of young people aged 17 under youth justice supervision from 2017–18 onwards.
3. The number and rate of young people in the Northern Territory is not available for 2023–24 for all supervision and community-based supervision.
4. Rates for the Australian Capital 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. The rates for all other jurisdictions are for young people aged 10 to 17.

Source: Table S15a.

Trends in the rate of young people aged 10–17 under community-based supervision on an average day followed similar patterns to those for all supervision in most states and territories.

Over the 10-year period, there was an overall decline between 2014–15 and 2023–24 in the rate of young people aged 10–17 under community-based supervision on an average day in all states and territories where data was available. There were some minor fluctuations in some states and territories, where rates:

• rose in Queensland in 2017–18 and 2018–19, before declining from 2019–20 onwards
• rose in Tasmania in 2017–18 and 2018–19, before falling again to a low in 2021–22, with a rise since 2022–23
• fell in South Australia in most years up to 2020–21, before rising since 2021–22 (Table S48a).

Trends in the rate of young people aged 10–17 in detention on an average day varied among the states and territories over the 10 years.

Between 2014–15 and 2023–24, detention rates for young people aged 10–17 fell overall in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia – they rose in Queensland and Tasmania (Table S86a).