Commissioner promotes views of young people in youth justice system

Queensland Commissioner for Children and Young People and Child Guardian, Elizabeth Fraser released the findings of the third and latest Views of Young People in Detention Centres Survey.

The Commissioner asked members of Parliament, statutory bodies, professional groups, academics, government agencies and community organisations attending the release to seriously consider what young people have to say about their lived experience of the youth justice system.

Ms Fraser said the purpose of the surveys is to assist policy makers and service providers better understand what these young people have to say about how they started offending, what is helping them change and their future aspirations.

"Through the survey series, the Commission provides young people in detention the chance every two years to complete a confidential survey about their particular experience and publishes their responses in full," she said.

"Regularly reviewing what young people tell us about their experiences is a critical part of strengthening the juvenile justice systems accountability for their service outcomes."

Ms Fraser said feedback from attendees about the value of the Commission’s survey work was very positive.

Responses from young people provide detailed insights across a range of areas including admission to detention, family and community contact, interactions with staff, education and health care, behaviour management, complaints and advocacy, legal matters, and transition planning and aftercare.

"Young people are positive about many aspects of their safety and wellbeing. Most report feeling well treated on their arrival in detention, feeling safe, getting high quality health care, and benefiting from a wide range of programs," Ms Fraser said.

"The survey also pointed to areas requiring further investigation, including claims of derogatory language being used by some youth workers toward young people, and a high proportion of young people who report being subject to behaviour management practices such as separation and restraint during their stay in detention.

"Our research gives these young people a voice in their own lives, and I urge everyone to read what these young people have told us and use this information to direct their policy development and decision making to contribute to improvements within the youth justice and detention systems."

The Views of Young People in Detention Centres Queensland 2011 report, including the summary version and young person’s edition, can be downloaded here.

The Commissioner’s speech, PowerPoint presentation and media release can also be viewed online.

The Commissioner releases the report.

L-R: Neroli Holmes, Assistant Commissioner Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland (ADCQ); Kevin Cocks, Commissioner, ADCQ; Elizabeth Fraser, Commissioner, CCYPCG

L-R: Brett O’Connor, Department for Education and Training; Cameron Harsley, Queensland Police Service; Anna Stewart, Griffith University; Barry Salmon Assistant Commissioner, CCYPCG

Last Updated: September 26, 2011

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