Smart Justice for Young People

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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we operate, the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung and Bunurong Peoples of the Kulin Nation. We extend this acknowledgement to all First Nations’ Peoples and pay our respects to their Elders past and present and acknowledge sovereignty was never ceded.

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This Framework would set and coordinate all actions across government, statutory agencies and government-funded organisations and address criminalising processes and systemic over-representation across the following domains:

  • Criminal and civil justice systems – understand the systemic drivers of over-representation and prioritise outcomes that work
  • Policing – ending policing practices that lead to over-representation
  • Children, families and their communities – Enabling families, carers and communities to get the help they need when they need it to support young people
  • Housing and material needs – Ensure all children, young people and their families have access to safe, stable, affordable housing
  • Health and wellbeing – ending practices which criminalise health and wellbeing issues and recognise and end systemic barriers to accessing meaningful support
  • Education – ending education practices that lead to criminalisation and increase school inclusion.


This Framework would coordinate decisions and investments that affect the life course of young people and their families over-represented in the criminal justice system from prevention through to reintegration across these domains.

Responsibility would be spread across the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS), Department of Education (DE), Department of Health (DH), Department of Families, Fairness, Housing (DFFH) and Department of Jobs, Skills, Precincts and Regions (DJSPR). DFFH should lead this response, as it has the expertise coordinating and commissioning social services to support families with complex needs.

The Framework, and action to implement the Framework, should be centred on the following principles:

  • Prohibition against all forms of discrimination
  • Best interests of the child
  • Right to life, survival and development
  • Young peoples’ right to participate in decisions that affect them
  • Aboriginal self-determination.


This Framework would build on reform already underway, based on shared commitment and responsibility across government and service providers under Wirkara Kulpa 2021–2031 and the Framework to reduce criminalisation of young people in residential care.

The Framework would also incorporate and align with other key government policies, including:

  • Our promise, Your future: Victoria’s youth strategy 2022–2027 | Victorian Government
  • Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2020-2030 | Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria
  • Corporate Plan 2022-26 | Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria
  • Crime Prevention Strategy | Community Crime Prevention Victoria
  • DJPR-Strategic-Plan-2021-25
  • Roadmap for Reform: Strong Families, Safe Children | Department of Families Fairness and Housing Victoria