Youth offending in Tasmania the subject of comprehensive report from Sentencing Advisory Council

The Sentencing Advisory Council has completed a data-driven snapshot of youth crime in Tasmania, including the types of offending, trends, sentencing outcomes and research on the causes of crime.

A key finding was a reduction in the number of matters finalised in the Magistrates Court's Youth Justice Division from 2095 in 2008-09, to 627 in 2019-20, reflecting an Australia-wide trend.

Rates of crime among youth has also dropped from 4700 per 100,000 a decade ago, to about 1700 a year ago. Tasmania remained significantly above the Australian average in terms of rates of youths under community supervision.

The most common types of offences committed by youth aged 10 to 17 in Tasmania were assault, driving offences and assault police, and stealing, burglary and aggravated burglary.

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Data further highlighted the growing over-representation of rates of Aboriginal youths in the Tasmanian justice system.

Rates of Aboriginal youths in detention are more than five times higher than the average, and rates under community supervision are about four times higher.

On a five-tiered scale of socio-economic disadvantage, Tasmanian youths from areas of highest disadvantage account for 85.4 per cent of those under supervision.

The Sentencing Advisory Council analysed research on the operation of Tasmania's Youth Justice Act, including concerns that it is not adequately trauma-informed and instead puts the onus on the youths themselves.

"The legislative framework focuses on young people taking responsibility for their behaviour and does not sufficiently focus on the need to treat youth offenders differently from adult offenders with the associated recognition of the trauma experienced by children," the report reads.

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"A related perspective was that the Youth Justice Act 1997 (Tas) was written with a particular type of 'youth offender' in mind, one who was readily engaged and compliant with orders, whereas the reality was that the majority of youth offenders come from complex backgrounds of generational poverty, drug use and trauma."

The Act was last updated in 2012.

The report also noted ongoing concerns about a lack of housing for youths in the justice system, including instances where the Ashley Youth Detention Centre was seen as providing more stable accommodation.

"In consultations with stakeholders, concern about appropriate housing was frequently identified as a factor in the high level of young people on remand," the Sentencing Advisory Council report reads.

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"In its research, Tasmanian Legal Aid also identified a lack of suitable accommodation as a reason why young people are refused bail.

"The Council also heard of some young people who were choosing not to apply for bail given the stable structure and security offered at AYDC."

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