How do we reduce the over-representation of Indigenous kids behind bars?

Indigenous advocates and Amnesty International have made recommendations for reducing the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the youth justice system - but what is the government doing?

Source: Koorie Youth Council

Nationwide, young Indigenous people between 10 and 17 are 24 times as likely to be in detention as non-Indigenous young people, and every single child currently locked up in the Northern Territory is indigenous.

Along with a collection of first-hand experiences, The Koorie Youth Council in Victoria has some ideas on how to fix the problem of over-representation - where Indigenous young people are eight times more likely to be caught up in the youth justice system.

"It is imperative that we listen to our Aboriginal children, and that we listen to our young people. They understand this space deeply and they hold the solutions," says Indi Clarke, Executive Officer of the Koorie Youth Council.

Every single child currently locked up in the Northern Territory is indigenous.

The Koorie Youth Council want greater community support resources, to keep kids out of prison, more legal representation for Indigenous kids, as well as raising the age you can be locked up. And they’re not alone.

Amnesty International wants the age of ‘criminal responsibility’, the age you can be sent to detention, raised from 10 to 14.

The Victorian Government says it's spending $11 million on reforming the system. It’s got a task force which will examine the cases of about 250 Aboriginal young people in youth justice to tackle the reasons behind overrepresentation and what more needs to be done.

But will these calls for change be loud enough to make a difference?

 

Victorian Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young people, Justin Mohomed, speaks with Jan Fran and Michael Hing.