Western Australia
This section summarises key findings of young people under youth justice supervision for Western Australia, including the number and rate of young people under community-based supervision and in detention. It also summarises data on young people by age, sex, Indigenous status, legal status, time under supervision and contains trends.
Impact of COVID-19 on youth justice data
This report includes data from March 2020 to June 2022, which coincides with the presence of COVID-19 in Australia. However, the direct impact of COVID-19 and related social restrictions on the number of young people under youth justice supervision is difficult to determine due to a range of factors and more research is required.
Number and rate
On an average day in 2024–25, in Western Australia:
- 516 young people aged 10 and over were under youth justice supervision (Table S132a)
- 4 in 5 (86%) were supervised in the community (Table S132b), and 15% in detention (Table S132c) (proportions may not sum to 100% as some young people were under community-based supervision and in detention on the same day)
- The rate of supervision was 15 per 10,000 young people aged 10–17 (Table S133a)
- 12 per 10,000 young people aged 10–17 were under community-based supervision (Table S133b), and 2 per 10,000 were in detention (Table S133c).
Age and sex
On an average day in 2024–25, in Western Australia:
- 85% (438) of those under supervision were aged 10–17, and the rest were 18 and over
- 81% of those under supervision were male
- Males under supervision were most likely to be aged 17, whilst females were most likely to be aged 16 (Table S132a).
Figure 14.1: Number of young people under supervision (any type) on an average day, by age, sex and Indigenous status, Western Australia, 2024–25
This interactive population pyramid shows the age distribution of males and females was broadly similar. The largest number of males and females under supervision aged 17 and 16, respectively.
Notes:
- Age categories are not presented where they represent averages that are equal to or rounded to 0.0.
- Total includes young people of unknown age, sex and Indigenous status.
- Number of young people under community-based supervision and in detention may not sum to total number under supervision as young people may be under community-based supervision and in detention on the same day and may be in different age groups.
- 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, then the average daily number under supervision will reflect this. Average daily data broken down by age will not be comparable to Youth justice in Australia releases prior to 2019–20.
- The equivalent 'during the year' table or unique counts of young people is not published due to small numbers, confidentiality, and/or reliability concerns.
Source: Youth Justice National Minimum Data Set 2024–25
First Nations young people
On an average day in 2024–25, in Western Australia:
- First Nations young people made up 6.9% of those aged 10–17 in the general population, but 59% (or 259) of those of the same age under supervision (Tables S132a and S143)
- 59% (216) of young people under community-based supervision were First Nations young people and 62% (46) of young people aged 10-17 were in detention (Tables S132b and S132).
- First Nations over-representation was 19 times the non-Indigenous rate in community-based supervision and higher in detention (22 times the non‑Indigenous rate) (Tables S133b and S133c).
- First Nations young people aged 10–17 were about 19 times as likely as non-Indigenous young people to be under youth justice supervision (125 per 10,000 compared with 6 per 10,000) (Table S133a).
Time under supervision
In 2024–25, in Western Australia:
- completed periods of supervision lasted a median length of 16 days (around 2 weeks) (Table S29)
- when all time spent under supervision during the year is considered, young people spent an average of 131 days (about 19 weeks) under supervision (Table S30).
Sentenced and unsentenced detention
On an average day in 2024–25, in Western Australia:
- around 2 in 3 (68%) young people in detention were unsentenced - that is, they were awaiting the outcome of their court matter, or had been found guilty and were awaiting sentencing
- about 1 in 3 (33%) young people in detention were serving a sentence (proportions might not sum to 100%, as young people may be in sentenced and unsentenced detention on the same day) (Table S108a).
Trends to 2024–25
Over the 5 years to 2024–25, on an average day, in Western Australia:
- the number of young people under supervision fell by 6% (from 549 in 2020–21 to 516 in 2024–25) (Table S132a), and the rate declined from 17 to 15 per 10,000 young people aged 10–17 (Table S15a)
- in community-based supervision, the number fluctuated, with the rate declining overall from 13 to 12 (Table S48a),
- in detention, the number fell from 106 to 76 (Table S132c), and the rate fell from 4 to 3 per 10,000 (Table S83a)
- the rate for First Nations young people under supervision fell from 140 to 125 per 10,000 (Table S12a).
Figure 14.2: Rate of young people aged 10–17 under supervision on an average day, by supervision type, Western Australia, 2020–21 to 2024–25
This line graph shows that the under supervision, and community-based supervision rates rose from 2020–21 to 2024–25 before declining in subsequent years. The rate for detention declined overall.
Notes:
- Total includes young people of unknown age, sex and Indigenous status.
- Number of young people under community-based supervision and in detention may not sum to total number under supervision as young people may be under community-based supervision and in detention on the same day and may be in different age groups.
- 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, then the average daily number under supervision will reflect this. Average daily data broken down by age will not be comparable to Youth justice in Australia releases prior to 2019–20.
- The equivalent 'during the year' table or unique counts of young people is not published due to due to small numbers, confidentiality, and/or reliability concerns.
- Rates are number of young people per 10,000 relevant population.
Source: Youth Justice National Minimum Data Set 2024–25
More information
This fact sheet is part of the Youth justice in Australia 2024–25 release, which includes a report, state and territory fact sheets, and supplementary data tables.
Together, these provide comprehensive information about young people under youth justice supervision in Australia due to their involvement, or alleged involvement, in crime.
For more information see the Youth justice topic.