The Victorian youth justice program works with young offenders aged between 10 and 20 years.
Our mission is:
To ensure care, custody and supervision for young offenders through the provision of programs which will assist them to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to manage their lives effectively without further offending and to provide mechanisms, resources and direction to achieve this.
In the context of the legislation and through the provision of quality community-based supervision and support programs, to promote the personal development of young offenders and contribute to the reduction of crime in the community.
Victoria's three-pronged Reform Strategy aims to prevent low risk young people from entering the criminal justice system, rehabilitate more serious young offenders and support them to establish crime-free lifestyles after their release.
A Balanced Approach to Juvenile Justice in Victoria [PDF 100kb]
Legislative reform in the Youth Justice system
On 1 July 2005 the age jurisdiction of the Criminal Division of the Children's Court increased from 17 to 18 years of age through amendments to the Children and Young Persons Act 1989.
A Youth Worker's Guide to Nutrition for Young People
The guide has been specially designed to provide nutrition information for youth workers, allied health staff and general practitioners working in youth justice centres with young people. It is also a useful guide for staff working with young people in the community. It has been compiled with feedback from staff and clients in youth justice centres to ensure that the requested nutrition information is included. The guide brings together a wide range of topical nutrition-related issues for young people, and may also be useful for general community workers, health professionals, care givers and parents.
Youth Justice Group Conferencing
Group conferencing is a program based on restorative justice principles. It is a problem-solving approach to offending that aims to balance the needs of young people, victims and the community by encouraging dialogue between individuals who have offended and their victims.
