What is JusticeHub?

Transforming Youth Justice Through Innovation and Community Action

JusticeHub has a mission to revolutionise Australia's youth justice system. By combining digital innovation, community wisdom, and evidence-based practices, we're creating a more effective, compassionate, and just approach to supporting our young people.

The Challenge We Face

Unsustainable Costs

$1.6 billion spent annually on youth justice, with $2,827 per day to detain a single youth. This massive investment yields poor outcomes, straining public resources without addressing root causes.

High Recidivism Rates

53% of young offenders return to supervision within a year, rising to 64% for Indigenous youth. This cycle perpetuates disadvantage and increases long-term societal costs.

Community
Impact

Areas with high youth crime rates see decreased social cohesion, economic strain, and intergenerational cycles of offending. This affects everything from local business growth to community trust.

If left unaddressed, these challenges will have far-reaching consequences. Youth in the system face severe mental health issues, educational disruption, and reduced lifetime earning potential. Communities experience a decline in civic engagement, cultural disconnection, and diminished economic growth. The next generation inherits increased poverty, lower academic performance, and reduced community resilience. By acting now, we can break this cycle and foster thriving, innovative communities for the future.

JusticeHub aims to lift the burden from grassroots organisations, allowing them to focus on real change in their communities. We support a shared services system of tools, resources and support needed to amplify their impact and streamline their operations.

Tools

Research and Testing

Synthesising research and best practices to inform grassroots strategies. Offering templates and frameworks to simplify reporting and impact measurement

Lived experience

Stories

Storytelling support to showcase grassroots successes. Training in effective communication and advocacy techniques. Platforms to share lived experiences and influence decision making.

Local

JusticeHub Platform

Scaling successful local programs through resource sharing and mentorship. Facilitating peer-to-peer learning between grassroots organisations.

Network

Justice Economies

Connecting grassroots leaders with tech experts, researchers, and policymakers. Fostering partnerships to address common challenges. Creating a supportive network for ongoing collaboration and growth.

Diagrama: Bridging Global Expertise with Local Wisdom

The Diagrama Foundation's approach forms the backbone of the Justice Co-Lab, offering a unique blend of international best practices and deep respect for local, particularly Indigenous, knowledge and solutions.

Therapeutic Environment Over Punitive Control

Diagrama centres create nurturing, education-focused environments that promote personal growth and rehabilitation, rather than punishment. This approach has shown to significantly reduce recidivism rates. By shifting from a punitive mindset to one of healing and development, young people are given the opportunity to address underlying issues, build self-esteem, and develop essential life skills. The physical spaces are designed to feel more like schools or homes than detention facilities, fostering a sense of safety and possibility. This environment encourages young people to take ownership of their rehabilitation journey, leading to more sustainable positive outcomes.

Holistic Development of the Individual

The model addresses all aspects of a young person's life - emotional, educational, social, and vocational - providing comprehensive support for successful reintegration into society. Recognising that youth offending often stems from complex, interconnected challenges, Diagrama offers tailored interventions that go beyond addressing criminal behaviour. This includes trauma-informed care, formal education and skills training, emotional regulation techniques, and opportunities for positive social interactions. By nurturing the whole person, the model equips young people with a robust toolkit for navigating life's challenges and pursuing positive pathways upon their return to the community.

Community and Family Integration

Diagrama recognises that lasting change requires strong support networks. It actively involves families and communities in the rehabilitation process, ensuring sustainable positive outcomes. This approach acknowledges that young people don't exist in isolation, but are part of broader social systems. Family therapy sessions, community mentorship programs, and gradual reintegration initiatives are key components. By strengthening these connections and providing support to families as well, Diagrama creates a more supportive environment for young people to return to, significantly improving their chances of successful reintegration and reducing the likelihood of reoffending.

Empowered Staff as Change Agents

Every staff member, from leadership to support roles, is trained in the therapeutic approach, creating a consistent, supportive environment that reinforces positive change. This comprehensive training ensures that every interaction a young person has within the centre is an opportunity for growth and learning. Staff are equipped with skills in conflict resolution, trauma-informed care, and positive reinforcement techniques. This consistent approach helps build trust and creates a culture of respect and personal responsibility. Moreover, by empowering all staff as change agents, the model creates a more fulfilling work environment, leading to higher staff retention and a more stable, effective rehabilitation program.

Integrating Diagrama with Australian Communities

Community

Collaborative Adaptation

Working with Indigenous leaders and community organisations to tailor the Diagrama model to local contexts. Ensuring that international best practices complement, not override, local solutions.

Intelligence

Two-Way Knowledge Exchange

Facilitating dialogue between Australian Indigenous communities and Diagrama experts. Creating platforms for local wisdom to inform and enhance the Diagrama approach.

Local

Community-Driven Impact Showcase

Documenting successes through the lens of community-defined metrics and storytelling. Amplifying local voices in advocating for wider adoption of effective practices

The Justice Co-Lab, inspired by Diagrama, is not about imposing external solutions. Instead, we're creating a framework where international expertise meets and elevates local wisdom. Our goal is to catalyze a movement that truly reflects Australia's diverse communities, especially honouring Indigenous knowledge in reshaping our youth justice system.

Mapping

Connecting Communities: A Network for Justice Reinvestment

We're building a nationwide network to connect and amplify the efforts of 26 communities across Australia that are leading justice reinvestment initiatives. Our goal is to create a platform for sharing knowledge, stories, and solutions in youth justice reform.

Support

Support Our Vision

Help us transform youth justice in Australia over the next 5 years. Your support can make a real difference:

Year 1 Goal: $500,000

Fund initial seed developments and community outreach

Develop our digital platform

Hire key staff and support the story of Justice co-lab

Case studies and thinking

Featured

Trend

Achieving Gold-Standard Youth Crime Prevention: Designing Programs That Transform Lives

Government investment in youth crime prevention is a welcome and timely step. To truly transform young lives and enhance community safety, however, programs must meet a gold standard of design and delivery. This position paper outlines a vision for gold-standard youth crime prevention and practical guidance on designing “kickstarter” initiatives that change life trajectories for at-risk youth.

Stories

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Beyond Shadows: Plato's Cave and the Reimagining of Youth Justice in Australia

Last week, I stood at the entrance of what scholars believe could have been the inspiration for Plato's famous allegory—a cave nestled in the ancient hills outside Athens. As sunlight filtered through craggy stone, casting dancing patterns at my feet, I felt the weight of 2,400 years of human wisdom pressing upon me.

Stories

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Creating Spaces for Growth: The Physical and Emotional Environment of Transformation

"The environment is not separate from our therapeutic approach – it is integral to it," explains Teresa, a facility director. "What does a concrete cell with steel furniture communicate? That the young person is dangerous, untrustworthy, unworthy of beauty or comfort. We choose to communicate something different."

Stories

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From Control to Care: Reimagining Staff Roles in Youth Justice

In my third reflection from Spain's Diagrama centres, I witness a profound reimagining of what it means to work with troubled youth.

Stories

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The Courage to Connect: How Authentic Relationships Transform Youth in Detention

This scene, repeated countless times across Diagrama's centres, illuminates what might be the most revolutionary aspect of their approach: the primacy of relationship in the work of transformation.

Stories

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Beyond Walls: What Spanish Youth Detention Centers Taught Me About Seeing Humanity First

"We're not just enforcing a sentence to pass the months until they leave. We're here to work with them, to transmit values, to show them there's a different way."

People

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From Trouble to Transformation: The CAMPFIRE Journey

Stories from the frontlines of Indigenous youth empowerment in Queensland's Lower Gulf

People

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Richard Cassidy - Our Story

Richard Cassidy shares Indigenous wisdom through storytelling, navigating traditional and Western knowledge systems while empowering future generations to connect with country and culture.