ABC reporter Kirstie Wellauer has recently written an article urging the government to intervene and break the cycle of crime in the youth justice system.

The article gives us insight into the reality of our Country’s ‘tough on crime’ stance, citing an open letter initiated by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service. 

The open letter contains anecdotes from Zach* who has spent time in Youth Detention, and the lasting impacts they have been left to cope with as a young adult. Strikingly, the overwhelming impression appears to be that Youth Detention is ‘breeding criminals’. 

The letter itself has many signatories, and as part of the solution calls for more investment in mental health. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists backs this call, noting that: “mental health professionals could break the cycle of crime if they were involved early enough.”

In Australia our justice system, in particular our prison system, focuses largely on punishment and the concept of general deterrence (that is, deterring the general population from committing crime). There is less of a focus on rehabilitation. 

Read the article published in the ABC News here which provides a ‘watch this space’ moment. 

We’ll see if it drives any change.