Youth crime concern

Recidivism rates bring call for changes

ALMOST half of young Victorian offenders will be back behind bars less than a year after their release from detention, a report has revealed.

Geelong has recorded the state’s second highest number of offences committed by youths.

Crime Statistics Agency data released earlier this year showed 25,636 offences were committed by people 18 years and younger across the state in the 12 months to September 2016, an increase of 1263 on the previous year.

The Jesuit Social Service report, following a landmark review into Victoria’s youth justice system, examined more than three dozen youth justice systems in Europe and the US.

Youth reoffending rates in Missouri are far lower. Only 12.3 per cent of young people reoffend within 12 months of release compared with 44.7 per cent of Victorian offenders.

Chief executive Julie Edwards says setting aggressive targets for reducing youth offending, incarceration and recidivism is key to lowering the state’s youth crime rate.

Ms Edwards said the State Government review undertaken by former Corrections Commissioner Penny Armytage and Swinburne University’s James Ogloff had 126 recommendations that would make a difference, however, she believes Victoria can learn from innovative approaches adopted internationally.

“Every context is different and you can’t pick something up and think it will apply in a different setting,” she said.

“What was very clear about (other) youth justice systems is they have a very clear purpose about what they are there to do.”

Jesuit Social Services wants long-term evidence-based approaches to youth offending, which it sees as key to curbing the cycle of crime.

Ms Edwards said smaller, house-like detention centres — common in Spain — were needed to ensure young offenders developed meaningful relationships and understood how they could play a positive role in the community.

Prison officers in Spain do two years of training and are linked with “houses” so they can develop trusting relationships with young offenders.

“As (youth crime) has become a political issue and one to score points on — you have politicians leading a conversation about being ‘ tough on crime’ — which is misleading, because they are not being tough on the causes of crime,” Ms Edwards said.

Ms Armytage said last month acceptance of all youth review recommendations would lead to a commitment “to best practice across the youth justice system”.