Catch-and-release courts

Cops arresting crims but judiciary granting more bail

YOUNG crims are operating with disregard for the Territory’s court system, which is increasingly dealing with kids on a catch-and-release approach to youth crime, government figures suggest.

The figures, in Solicitor- General Sonia Brownhill SC’s submissions to the NT Royal Commission, shows cops are arresting more kids, more often, and that the kids are breaching their bail with increasing impunity.

YOUNG criminals are operating with disregard for the Territory’s court system, which is increasingly dealing with kids on a catch-and-release approach to youth crime, government figures suggest.

The figures, contained in Solicitor-General Sonia Brownhill SC’s written submissions to the NT Royal Commission, show police are arresting more kids, more often, and that the kids are breaching their bail with increasing impunity.

Ms Brownhill, who offers little in the way of commentary on the statistics in her submission, notes the average youth in the justice system today has been arrested 2.6 times, compared with 1.6 a decade ago. The number of kids arrested annually has in- creased by nearly half, from 556 in 2006 to 754 in 2016.

Ms Brownhill said there had been a “substantial growth in the number of times bail is breached across both males and females, and across all age groups. A particularly substantial increase is apparent since 2011.” Figures provided separately to the Commission show kids breached bail 504 times last year, compared with 306 times in 2011.

The percentage of young criminals sentenced to jail time has remained relatively steady, but the sustained rise in children committing crimes has resulted in more children in detention centres in Darwin and Alice Springs.

Ms Brownhill’s statement, made public last week, is one of many being gradually released as the due date for commissioners Margaret White and Mick Gooda’s findings and recommendations draws closer.

The statement, essentially an overview of key government data points, also highlights a number of concerning criminal trends the youth justice sector is grappling with.

Among the most concerning was the “small but growing” increase in the number of kids locked up for sex offences since 2006, from two to 16.

In their interim report released in April, Ms White and Mr Gooda said: “Victims of crime are understandably angry and frustrated by continuing safety risks posed by young offenders.”

The Royal Commissions findings are due to be released on November 17.