Youth Justice Strategy 2019-2023 | Brisbane Youth Service

Youth Justice Strategy 2019-2023: Working together Changing the Story

The Queensland Government Youth Justice Strategy was released in December 2018.

The Strategy is based on four pillars that underpin the framework within which youth crime is addressed in the justice system. The four pillars are:

Intervene early
Keep children out of court
Keep children out of custody
Reduce re-offending

BYS is actively involved in assisting young people navigate the justice system. Our evidence-based approach supports young people who are experiencing legal issues or involved in the justice system. We have strong partnerships with a range of other agencies and actively support young people by providing them with information or by accompanying them to appointments. Volunteer lawyers from LawRight visit the Valley Hub weekly and young people can access free appointments, ongoing legal casework and practical help to resolve legal issues.

BYS CEO Annemaree Callender was a member of the Youth Justice Strategy Reference Group, which made a significant contribution to the development of the Youth Justice Strategy.

BYS is in a unique position to influence policy and government direction in relation to homelessness and youth more broadly. We have, and will continue to, provide advice on the Strategy and are well placed to do so because of our long experience, broad charter and data and research focus.

With more than 2000 pre-post support assessments gathered over time, we have identified consistent patterns in issues experienced by young people, areas of strong results (e.g. 73-74% reduction in homelessness consistently over the last three years); and where we can enhance outcomes and fill service gaps. Our consistent data collection from 2015-2018 enables BYS to provide evidence-based support and advice to young people as well as government.