The Territory Government is putting victims first and ensuring that young people who do the wrong thing face consequences, including facing the impact of their offending.
From 2019, $900,000 will be invested into expanding court-ordered youth justice conferencing and $1.25M will be invested into Victims of Crime NT over five years to deliver a victim support program.
The announcement is part of the Territory Government’s Back on Track plan, which tackles youth crime by giving police and courts the ability to get kids off the street and into programs like boot camps to get their lives back on track.
Back on Track expands court ordered youth justice conferencing, which forces offenders to sit before victims and face up to the consequences of their actions.
Research has identified this as a very effective method of deterring recidivist offending.
A new partnership with the Community Justice Centre and the NT Government will see youth justice conferencing expanded to Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, where it is currently not available.
The second phase of the partnership will include a two year pilot program in three remote communities, working with elders groups and law and justice groups to build a youth justice conferencing model that aligns with Local Decision Making and can create local jobs.
Source: NT Government