Summary
- Recent focus on youth crime waves in Queensland and the Northern Territory has led to government crackdowns.
- Punitive youth crime policies violate human rights and are not effective in making the community safer.
- A preschool program reduced young people before the courts by over 50% and provided family support to further reduce crime chances.
- Early community-based prevention initiatives, like the Pathways to Prevention Project, can significantly decrease youth offending rates.