Anglicare Southern Qld releases statement re Youth Justice Report
22 September 2026
Youth justice report reinforces need to support young people before crisis point
Anglicare Southern Queensland says the findings of a Senate inquiry into Australia's youth justice and incarceration system reinforce a simple message:
if we want safer communities, we need to support young people before they reach the youth justice system.
The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee's report, released on Friday, September 18, found significant links between youth justice involvement and experiences including trauma, disability, family violence, unstable housing and disengagement from education.
It also highlighted the role schools can play in a young person's pathway into the justice system, reinforcing the importance of early intervention and support to help children remain engaged in education.
Anglicare Southern Queensland's submission to the inquiry highlighted the impact of school suspension and exclusion, including the risk of responding to behaviour without addressing what is driving it.
In 2025, First Nations students and students with disability in Queensland were twice as likely to be suspended or excluded, while students in out-of-home care were three times as likely to experience suspension or exclusion.
Anglicare’s Group Manager of Youth Justice, Tahnee Ledgerwood, said the findings reinforced the importance of looking at what happens before a child reaches the youth justice system.
"By the time a young person comes into contact with the youth justice system, there have often been multiple opportunities to identify that they and their family need support,” Ms Ledgerwood said.
"Trauma, disability, family instability, poverty and disengagement from education do not excuse harmful behaviour, but they matter when we are deciding what support and intervention a young person needs. If we only respond to the behaviour, we can miss the opportunity to address what is driving it and provide support earlier."
For some children, exclusion from school can mean being pushed further away from one of the places where they can be connected with support. "Schools are often one of the first places where children begin to show that they are struggling," Ms Ledgerwood said.
"When a child is experiencing trauma, disability, family violence or other challenges, removing them from education without addressing what is behind the behaviour can mean missing an important opportunity to help."
On an average day in 2024-25, 4,147 young people aged 10 and above were under youth justice supervision across Australia. Four in five were under community-based supervision, while one in five were in detention. Of those young people, 56 per cent were First Nations and 80 per cent were unsentenced.
The Senate report highlighted early intervention, community-based prevention and diversion, and found evidence that community-based approaches can reduce offending and improve community safety while costing less than punitive criminal justice responses.
Four recommendations included national minimum standards for youth justice, a National Child and Community Safety Taskforce, an evidence-based community education campaign about youth crime and alternatives to incarceration, and a further inquiry into the factors contributing to youth incarceration.
Ms Ledgerwood said the report should prompt governments to invest in support before young people reach crisis point.
"We already know many of the factors that can contribute to a young person's involvement with the justice system. We know the importance of education, stable housing, family support, disability services and early intervention,” she said.
"Young people need to be accountable for their actions. But accountability should not mean waiting until a young person is in crisis before we offer help. The question now is whether we are prepared to act on the evidence early enough. Young people should not have to reach the justice system before they get the support they need."