Penalties for children

1. PENALTIES FOR
CHILDREN
Crime: Young Offenders

2. What is the aim of penalties for
children?
The primary aim of a court when imposing a
penalty on a child or young person is to
rehabilitate them and give them an opportunity
to rebuild their lives and hopefully not reoffend.

3. What are the options for police?
Warning
Formal
Caution
On-the-spot
fine
Youth
Justice
Conference
Court

4. What are the options for
Courts?

5. Issues?
 Exposure to court is a bad thing; youth who have
appeared in court are more likely to reappear than
those who have never been
 Indigenous youth are twice as likely to be sent to
court (rather than warned or cautioned) than their
non-indigenous peers
 Fines are not a deterrent for poor people
 Control orders: 48% of the juvenile justice budget
is spent keeping juvenile offenders in custody
($541 a day)
 Indigenous youth are 17 times more likely than
non-indigenous to be under supervision or in
detention