Youth Justice

Question 1

Children’s Court of Victoria

Answer 1

specialist court with three divisions (Family Division, Criminal Division and Koori Court) to deal with matters relating to children

Question 2

Family Division

Answer 2

deals with applications relating to the protection and care of children and young persons at risk and other related matters.

Question 3

Criminal Division

Answer 3

deals with matters relating to criminal offences (unrelated to death) by children and young people occurring between the ages of 10 and 17 years. Also conduct committal proceedings in relation to young people who have been charged with serious criminal offences.

Question 4

Koori Court

Answer 4

hears matters relating to criminal offending (other than sexual offences) by Aboriginal children and young people.

Question 5

Probation

Answer 5

• least intensive supervisory order
• given to young people who have offended once or twice before
• duration: generally 12 months but can be up to 18 months
• obey to certain conditions e.g. not leaving vic without permission etc.

Question 6

Youth Supervision Order

Answer 6

• higher level than probation
• given to young people who have been found guilty of a serious offence, or numerous offences and committed the crime when they were under the age of 18
• 12-18 months
• conditions apply

Question 7

Youth Attendance Order

Answer 7

• direct alternative to being held in custody for children 15+ at the time of sentencing
• given to people who have been found guilty of a serious offence, appeared in court on a number of occasions or committed offences under 18
• max 12 months (max 10 hrs a week)
• conditions apply

Question 8

Parole

Answer 8

• allows young people to serve part of a custodial sentence in the community under the supervision of a parole officer
• eligible for young people who have been given a sentence of 6 months or longer
• conditions apply

Question 9

Dual track system

Answer 9

-allows courts to sentence young offenders (<21) to serve custodial sentences in youth detention instead of in an adult prison
- intended to prevent vulnerable young people from entering the adult prison system at an early age

Question 10

Parkville Youth Justice Precinct

Answer 10

The Melbourne Youth Justice Centre:
- 15-18 young men (remanded or sentenced)
The Melbourne Youth Residential Centre:
- 10-14 males (r or s)
- 10-17 females (r or s)
- 18-21 women (s)

Question 11

Malmsbury Youth Justice Precinct

Answer 11

Malmsbury Youth Justice Precinct accommodates young men ages 15-20 when r or s to Youth Justice Order in a mixture of low and high security residential units.
Malmsbury Senior Youth Justice Centre is a low security, open setting for young offenders 18-23

Question 12

Youth Residential Centre Order

Answer 12

most serious sanctions for children <15
- one year (single offence)
- 2 years (one or more offences)

Question 13

Youth Justice Centre Orders

Answer 13

most serious sanction for children 15-21
- 3 years (one offence)
- 4 (one or more offences)

Question 14

Reasons why Vic’s Youth Detention System in is crisis

Answer 14

• facilties unfit for purpose
• staff culture
• inexperienced staff
• lockdowns
• system under strain
• disrupted access to edu and rehab due to lockdowns
• changes to the bail act
• unfortunate backgrounds of inmates