Sophie Ellis from Youthlaw talks about the Victorian government's proposal for children (14 years and over) committing certain crimes to be given adult jail sentences. The Bill is set to go to Parliament by the end of the year even though the legislation hasn't been drafted yet.

As Sophie explains, the proposal doesn't address the reasons for children offending in the first place, and it doesn't offer the support and alternative programs that children and young people need to prevent future offending.

The Bill is not backed by evidence about what works with young people whose brains are still developing, and would expand the expensive false solution of incarceration. Importantly, in the long run it would make the community less safe, while inflicting violence on children themselves. Certainly, this would be in violation of Victoria's and Australia's human rights commitments and would amplify race-based discrimination in the justice system, including against children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.

MEDIA RELEASES

Youthlaw

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS)

Action

Find your local state member. Tell them not to introduce this Bill.

Racial profiling data

https://www.racialprofilingresearch.org/