Report on Government Services 2016

Chapter 16, Volume F

Youth justice

The Youth justice services chapter (chapter 16) reports on the performance of governments in providing youth justice services.

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Key Facts
Indicator Framework
Indicator Results
Indigenous Data

A total of 10 441 young people experienced youth justice supervision at some time during 2013-14. The majority of these young people experienced community-based youth justice supervision — nationally, on an average day in 2013-14, 85.1 per cent of young people aged 10-17 years who were supervised by youth justice services were in the community.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people were significantly overrepresented in youth justice detention. The daily average number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 10-17 years detained in youth justice detention centres was 463 in 2013-14.

Nationally, the daily average detention rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 10-17 years was 371.2 per 100 000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, 24 times the rate for non-Indigenous young people (15.2 per 100 000).

Total recurrent expenditure on detention-based supervision, community-based supervision and group conferencing was $698 million across Australia in 2014-15, with detention based supervision accounting for the majority of this expenditure (62.8 per cent, or $438 million).

Youth justice services aim to:

assist young people to address their offending behaviour and take responsibility for the effect their behaviour has on victims and the wider community
promote community safety
ensure the interests and views of victims are heard
support young people to reintegrate into the community.

The performance indicator framework provides information on equity, efficiency and effectiveness, and distinguishes the outputs and outcomes of youth justice services. The performance indicator framework shows which data are complete and comparable in the 2016 Report.

Indicator framework explained in the chapter

An overview of the Youth justice services performance indicator results are presented. Information to assist the interpretation of these data can be found in the indicator interpretation boxes in the Youth justice services chapter and attachment tables.

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Effectiveness — Diversion indicators

Group conferencing outcomes

Proportion of group conferences resulting in an agreement, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are not comparable but are complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	99.5	100.0	97.9	90.1	88.3	92.3	98.2	100.0	93.3

Source: Attachment table 16A.13

Effectiveness — Rehabilitation indicators

Education and training attendance

Proportion of young people in detention of compulsory school age attending an education course, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) and complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	100.0	100.0	100.0	95.3	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	98.8

Source: Attachment table 16A.15

Effectiveness — Safe and secure environment indicators

Deaths in custody

Number of young people who died in custody, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable and complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
No.	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Source: Attachment table 16A.14

Escapes

Rate of escapes from detention per 10 000 custody nights, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) and complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	–	0.4	–	–	–	–	–	7.9	0.4

Source: Attachment table 16A.16

Rate of escapes from escorted movement per 10 000 escorted movements, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) and complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	6.7	–	–	–	–	–	–	53.1	10.9

Source: Attachment table 16A.16

Absconds from unescorted leave

Rate of absconds per 1000 periods of unescorted leave, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) and complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	–	–	..	na	–	–	–	–	–

Source: Attachment table 16A.17

Assaults in custody

Rate of young people and staff injured as a result of a serious assault per 10 000 custody nights, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are neither comparable or complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	–	0.8	0.2	na	–	–	–	0.7	np

Source: Attachment table 16A.18

Rate of young people and staff injured as a result of an assault per 10 000 custody nights, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are neither comparable or complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	4.1	5.0	5.8	np	12.0	47.9	–	11.9	np

Source: Attachment table 16A.19

Self-harm and attempted suicide in custody

Rate of incidents of self-harm or attempted suicide in custody requiring hospitalisation per 10 000 custody nights, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are neither comparable or complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	0.8	0.4	0.2	na	–	–	–	2.0	np

Source: Attachment table 16A.20

Rate of incidents of self-harm or attempted suicide in custody that did not require hospitalisation per 10 000 custody nights, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are neither comparable or complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	2.9	–	4.1	na	2.9	8.0	–	7.9	np

Source: Attachment table 16A.20

Effectiveness — Statutory responsibilities indicators

Case plans prepared

Proportion of case plans prepared or reviewed within 6 weeks of commencing a sentenced detention order, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) but not complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	100.0	98.3	87.3	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	48.0	97.2

Source: Attachment table 16A.22

Proportion of case plans prepared or reviewed within 6 weeks of commencing a sentenced community-based order, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) but not complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	96.3	96.8	89.2	na	96.5	47.8	68.1	28.6	90.6

Source: Attachment table 16A.22

Completion of orders

Proportion of community-based orders successfully completed, 2014-15

Most recent data for this measure are comparable (subject to caveats) but not complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	80.9	90.5	80.5	63.4	66.7	85.7	60.6	59.1	78.6

Source: Attachment table 16A.21

Efficiency indicators — inputs per outputs

Centre utilisation

Centre utilisation rate, 2014-15

Most recent data for this indicator are comparable (subject to caveats) and complete (chapter 16)
	NSW	Vic	Qld	WA	SA	Tas	ACT	NT	Aust
%	69.5	66.7	79.7	68.7	66.5	42.9	22.8	58.5	67.9

Source: Attachment table 16A.25

Legend

– Nil or rounded to zero.

.. Not applicable.

na Not available.

np Not published.

Source: Chapter 16 and attachment 16A

Performance indicator data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this chapter are available in the attachment tables listed below. Contextual data and further supporting information can be found in the chapter.

Indigenous youth justice data
Table number	Table title
Table 16A.9	Daily average number and rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 10-17 years in detention
Table 16A.10	Daily average number and rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 10-17 years subject to community-based supervision
Table 16A.11	Average rates of detention and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rate ratio, young people aged 10-17 years in youth justice detention, per 100 000 people
Table 16A.12	Custody nights, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.13	Proportion of group conferences resulting in an agreement, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.14	Deaths in custody, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.15	Young people in detention attending education and training, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.16	Escapes from detention and escorted movement, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.17	Absconds from unescorted leave, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.18	Serious assaults in custody, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.19	Assaults in custody, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.20	Self-harm and attempted suicide in custody, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.21	Completion of community-based orders, by Indigenous status
Table 16A.22	Case plans prepared/reviewed within 6 weeks of commencing a sentenced order, by Indigenous status