Ideas identified in the policy
- The policy is an outline of what the government is already doing to decrease the youth crime rates
- Youth accountability is one of the objectives of this strategy plan
- This plan is an insufficient way of responding to the youth crime in Australia
Sources for ideas
Palaszczuk Government releases Youth Justice Strategy Action Plan
The article titled “Palaszczuk Government releases Youth Justice Strategy Action Plan” by Di Farmer (2019) outlines the specifics of this policy. According to the author, this action plan mentions the strategies that the government has already initiated as well as some of the plans for the future (Di Farmer, 2019). The goal of this policy is to ensure that the crime rates among the youth decrease substantially (Queensland Government, 2022). This, however, requires action not only on behalf of the government members but also from the community members. The community should be the environment where youth can develop their personalities, skills, and values as opposed to a place that predisposes people to crime.
The government official responsible for the implementation of this action plan is Ms. Farmer, who is the Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women. As Farmer notes, the Action Plan has two objectives since it outlines the steps that government agencies have taken and will take to address the reasons for offending and reoffending, as well as how to break the cycle. Breaking the cycle of offense is essential because it allows the youth to reintegrate into society instead of continuing to commit crimes (Farmer, 2019).
Youth Justice Strategy Action Plan
The Queensland Government has written a press release that is meant to address the main ideas of the “Youth Justice Strategy Action Plan.” In this press release, the government’s representatives mention the main ideas of the strategic plan and determine the steps that need to be taken to achieve these objectives. Youth accountability for the crimes is the main idea that this article aims to address because the action plan aims to help young people break from the cycle of crime while also ensuring that they are punished for their unlawful actions. According to the Queensland Government (n.d.), the recently announced plan lays out the steps the officials take in the next years to help lower youth crime rates and make neighborhoods safer. Young people will be held accountable for their conduct under this plan and given direction on how to improve their behaviors and attitudes to become respected and productive members of their communities. Actions to address some of the important variables that contribute to teenage criminality, such as family well-being, health, and education. Existing community, juvenile, and young offenders services will continue to function in tandem with the action plan’s new initiatives, services, and projects (Queensland Government, n.d.).
The government’s ‘war on kids’ won’t stop the youth crime problem in Queensland, experts say
This article outlines the primary issues with the action plan and how it can worsen the state of youth crime in Australia. In this article, the reporter talked to Natalie Siegel-Brown, who is a juvenile crime expert and who is in opposition to the government’s new policy. Mainly, the expert argues that this strategic initiative is a response to the crime that killed a couple and their child, committed by a 17 years old individual (McKenna, 2021). Siegel-Brown argues that if this crime was committed by someone several months older, the government would not have a discussion of juvenile crime.
The juvenile crime rates can be reduced through action that targets 24/7 support of the children who have committed crimes and need support to reintegrate into society, study, and find a job instead of returning to crime to survive. The number of young people charged with crimes decreased by 23% over the previous year (McKenna, 2021). However, chronic crime had expanded and tended to be concentrated in more socially disadvantaged regions of regional and remote Queensland. Thus, more needs to be done to ensure that the youth can lead a crime-free life (McKenna, 2021).
References
Farmer, Di. (2019). Palaszczuk Government releases Youth Justice Strategy Action Plan.The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory. Web.
McKenna, M. (2021). The government’s ‘war on kids’ won’t stop the youth crime problem in Queensland, experts say.ABC News. Web.
Queensland Government. (n.d.). Youth Justice Strategy Action Plan. Web.
Queensland Government. (2022). Youth Justice Strategy Action Plan 2019-2021. Web.