Trial validates strategy aimed at diverting kids from custody Youth justice green light

YOUNG offenders will be able to avoid the courts and instead be diverted into the youth justice system under a new strategy aimed at keeping youths out of custody.

The new Protected Admissions Scheme came into effect statewide in July and was one of the recommendations proposed in the Atkinson Report on Youth Justice.

The scheme enables youths who have committed crimes to make admissions to police and by doing so, instead of facing the courts, be put into the youth justice system.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said the strategy had been discussed “for some time” and had been modelled on the NSW version, which has been in place since 2014.

The difference between the two is Queensland will use the strategy for both simple and indictable offences.

Townsville Child Protection Investigation Unit Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles said the scheme had been used a couple of times in the region since its inception.

“It’s not something that a young person has to accept and again it’s a matter for them, and they are afforded the necessary legal advice before they get involved in the process,” he said.

“I think it will be something; as we move forward there will be a greater understanding and appreciation by both the police and also the legal fraternity, which will ultimately afford young people access to this scheme.”

It is hoped the scheme will enable a reduction in the number of youth being brought before the courts in circumstances where a caution or Youth Justice diversion could be used.

Sen-sgt Miles said all people could be afforded access to the scheme; however, not all would benefit from it.

“If we’ve got a young person who has been offending for a considerable amount of time and has been entrenched in the justice system for some time, then this process does not necessarily be of benefit to them,” he said. “So we’re looking at this as a way of diverting people away from the system as opposed to those who are within the system.”

A trial was conducted by a group of dispersed officers at multiple locations across the state, supported by the Legal Aid Hotline and ATSIL as the legal services. The process was found to work and after a sixmonth period the process has been approved statewide.