Abstract
The majority of young people involved with the juvenile justice system in Australia are male and aged between 10 and 17 years. Those that are sentenced to a juvenile justice sentence serve an average sentence of 6 months for offences such as burglary, assault, and dangerous driving. Similar to other countries, these youth often have complex needs and experience high rates of recidivism. Evidence-based transition planning processes have been shown to lower these rates. Although not legally mandated, juvenile justice and education systems in most Australian states have programs in place to support these young people in reconnecting with education and/or employment, their families, and the community upon their release. These supports are explored through the lens of the five areas of the Taxonomy of Transition Programming 2.0. The overrepresentation of Indigenous youth in the Australian juvenile justice system is discussed, along with possible reasons for this phenomenon. The typical experience of an incarcerated Aboriginal teen is illustrated through a case study. Recommendations for future practice are presented.
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Further Reading
Cunneen, C., White, R., & Richards, K. (2015). Juvenile justice: Youth and crime in Australia (5th Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dawes, G. D. (2011). The challenges of reintegrating Indigenous youth after their release from detention. Journal of Youth Studies, 14, 693–707.
Halsey, M. (2007). Assembling recidivism: The promise and contingencies of post-release life. The Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 97, 1209–1260.
Mendes, P., Snow, P., & Baidawi, S. (2014). The views of service providers on the challenges facing young people also involved in the youth justice system transitioning from out-of-home care. Journal of Policy Practice, 13, 239–257.
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O’Neill, S.C., Cumming, T.M., Strnadová, I., Grima-Farrell, C. (2018). Transitions from Behind the Fence to the Community: The Australian Experience. In: O’Neill, S. (eds) Incarcerated Youth Transitioning Back to the Community. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0752-2_7
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