Victoria has one of the most successful and effective youth justice systems in Australia. This success is indicated by lower rates of custodial sentences and the greater use of programs aimed at diverting young people from the criminal youth justice system, thereby enabling lower rates of incarceration.

Youth justice units

Youth justice units are a significant part of the Department of Human Services 'front-line' efforts to divert young people from intruding too far into the youth justice system. These units are a highly effective means of providing support and supervision to young people on community-based correctional orders and represent a realistic alternative to institutional custodial care.

Information for young people on community based orders:

• Probation is a community based sentence given by a magistrate in the Children's Court. Young people who have committed offences when aged between 10 and 17 years can be placed on probation. If young people get probation when they turn 18 the probation order has to finish by the time they are 21 years old. Probation is usually given to young people who have offended once or twice before.
• A youth supervision order is a community based sentence usually given to young people who have offended and appeared in court before and who have been found guilty of quite a serious offence, or numerous offences committed when under the age of 18.
• A youth attendance order is a community based sentence usually given to young people who have been found guilty of a serious offence or who have appeared in court many times before, for offences committed when under the age of 18. A youth attendance order is a direct alternative to being locked up, so it is a very serious order.
• Parole allows young people to serve part of a custodial sentence given by a magistrate or a judge back in the community under the supervision of a parole officer.

Court advice

Court Advice and Support services seek to divert young people from entering or further progressing in the criminal justice system by providing specialist youth focussed advice to the courts. Court advice services are available in the Children's Court and in the adult court system, for young offenders aged 18-20 at the time of sentencing, through the Adult Court Advice and Support Service (ACAS) program.