Study after study has shown that contact with the criminal justice system at a young age can do lasting damage to children, their families and communities.
The younger a child is the first time they’re sentenced, the more likely they are to reoffend violently, to continue offending and to end up in an adult prison before their 22nd birthday. According to a 2016 report by the Sentencing Advisory Council, 94% of children in detention aged 10 to 12 returned to prison before they were 18.
A cell at Banksia Hill detention centre in Perth. A study of 99 children there found nine out of 10 kids had some cognitive impairment – and 74% were Aboriginal