In Budget 2019, the Territory Labor Governmentwill continue reforming the youth justice system to teach children consequencesand put them on a better path and away from a lifetime of crime.
It will include investments for infrastructureto support alternatives to detention as well as preventative services thatencourage young people to engage in positive activities and avoid badbehaviour.
Key investments for alternatives to detentioninfrastructure include:
$10.3 million (over three years) for new and re-purposedfacilities to support youth diversion programs, deliver consequences and providealternatives to detention.
These facilities will provide alternatives todetention in regional areas of the NT.
The facilities will support the Back on Trackyouth diversion program (announced in December last year) and deliverconsequences that help get kids on a better path and away from a lifetime ofcrime
$3.6 million to establish a Barkly Youth Work Camp analternative to detention facility in Tennant Creek.
Funded as part of the Barkly Regional Deal, thenew facility will support young people who are participating in the Back onTrack program. The facility will include accommodation, skills development andcommunity work programs.
Additional investments into breaking the cycleof youth crime include:
$8.5 million for a new Palmerston Youth Skills Centre totrain young people in skills of the future.
$1.16 million for seven Youth Engagement Night Officers toengage with youth on the streets of Alice Springs, and $300,000 toexpand the Palmerston patrol.
$700,000 to extend the hours and transport services ofthe Alice Springs Youth Drop in Centre.
$400,000 for a cultural engagement and outreach programwith Aboriginal Elders.
As noted by Minister for Territory Families,Dale Wakefield
We are investing in alternatives to detention infrastructureto support programs such as Back on Track, which will help to break thecycle of youth crime in the Territory. Backon Track will deliver alternative to detention programs and will address consequences and community restitution,at-risk behaviour, family responsibility, and training and employmentopportunities. Infrastructure investment will support these programs that willcome into effect this year.
The Territory Labor Government is overhaulingwhat was a broken youth justice system to create generational change. Ifwe dont invest now to reform the youth justice system and put young peopleback on the right track, the cost to Territorians will be far greater in thelong-term.
This is how you fix theissue of youth crime simply locking kids up without reforming them puts themon a path to a lifetime of crime. It doesnt work, we need to get children on abetter path and keep the community safe.
Unlike the CLP, the Territory Labor Governmentwill not slash and burn youth justice services.
