Australia must stop locking up children – political panic is costing kids their futures

Anglicare Australia is calling on governments to stop locking up children and overhaul youth justice laws that are harming young people.

The call comes as Anglicare Australia releases Last Resort, Not First Response, a new paper showing that Australia’s youth justice policies are hurting children and failing to keep our communities safe. The paper calls for:

– all governments to raise the age of criminal responsibility to fourteen;

– ensure detention is used only as a last resort;

– fund prevention and early intervention services; and

– support First Nations-led solutions to help children who need it.

“Across most of Australia, children as young as ten can be arrested, charged, and locked up,” said Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers.

“That should shock us. A child in year four is not capable of understanding the criminal legal process, yet they are put through it every day. Detention is meant to be a last resort, but for some governments it has become a first response.

“The contradictions are staggering. Governments and commentators have spent months arguing that sixteen-year-olds are too young to use social media safely. But somehow, these same children are old enough to be locked up, charged like adults, and held in cells.

“If a teenager isn’t mature enough for a TikTok account, they are certainly too young to be locked up.

“Despite the media panic, youth crime is actually declining. But instead of investing in families and prevention, governments are turning to harsher laws, tougher policing, and building more cells for children.

“This approach is failing, and it’s hurting people. Most of the children caught in the system are living in poverty and unstable housing. Many are in out-of-home care. And First Nations children are being locked up at staggering rates.

If we care about our communities, we need to support children – not punish them for struggling. We can choose a system that protects children, supports families, and actually reduces crime.

“If our governments don’t change tack, they will condemn a generation of children to trauma, lost opportunities, and a lifetime of harm in the justice system. Supporting these children is the best way build stronger, safer communities for everyone.