Part 2 of "Reimagining Youth Justice: A Journey Beyond Walls"

In the soft light of early morning, I watch as Manuel, a social educator at Diagrama's La Zarza centre, sits down beside a young person who seems withdrawn, shoulders hunched against the world. Their conversation begins tentatively – quiet words exchanged over a shared breakfast – but gradually unfolds into something remarkable: genuine connection.

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.

The Bridge Before the Building

In Australia, we often approach troubled youth with an arsenal of programs, assessments, and interventions. We dive immediately into "fixing" behaviour before establishing the relational foundation that makes change possible. It's like attempting to build a house on sand, then wondering why it keeps collapsing.

"The programs and activities are important," explains Jesús Teruel, "but they are vehicles, not the destination. The real work happens in the space between people – in how we greet them each morning, how we sit with their anger without absorbing it, how we maintain hope when they cannot."

This philosophy manifests in extraordinary staff consistency. Unlike systems where burnout and turnover create a revolving door of relationships, Diagrama staff often remain for years, even decades. The message this sends to young people is profound: You are worth staying for.

The Art of Being Affected

One of the most striking differences I observed was the willingness of staff to be genuinely affected by the young people in their care. In Australia, we often valorise professional distance – the ability to remain emotionally untouched. This creates a hidden curriculum that teaches young people they are problems to be managed rather than humans to be known.

At Diagrama, I witnessed a different paradigm: staff who weren't afraid to care deeply, to celebrate victories and mourn setbacks, to be transformed themselves by the work of transformation.

"Of course we are affected," Ana tells me with a gentle smile. "How could we not be? These young people become part of our lives. We think about them after work; we worry about their futures. This is not a weakness in our approach – it is essential to it."

This willingness to be affected creates a profound modelling opportunity. Many young people in detention have never witnessed healthy attachment, emotional regulation, or conflict resolution. Staff who engage authentically – who show up human and whole – provide a living curriculum in these essential life skills.

The Counterintuitive Path to Safety

There's a common misconception that emotional connection compromises safety and security. The opposite proves true at Diagrama. Centres where staff maintain genuine relationships with young people have fewer incidents of violence and disruption.

"Young people behave better when they feel they have something to lose," explains Jesús. "When they value relationships with staff, when they feel a sense of belonging in the community we create, they make different choices."

This reflects a profound truth about human behaviour: connection is a more powerful motivator than control. Young people who feel genuinely valued will work to maintain that connection, even when it requires difficult behavioral changes.

The Bridge Back to Community

Perhaps most importantly, authentic relationships within detention create a blueprint for relationships beyond it. Young people learn that connection is possible, that they are worthy of care and investment, that vulnerability can lead to growth rather than exploitation.

Many youth in detention have experienced relationships primarily as sources of pain, manipulation, or disappointment. Experiencing consistent, boundaried care rewrites their internal narrative about what relationships can be.

"We are teaching them how to be in relationship," explains Teresa, another staff member. "How to trust appropriately, how to manage conflict, how to repair after mistakes. These are the skills that will determine whether they succeed after release."

The Courage to Connect

As I prepare to leave La Zarza, I reflect on what might be the greatest barrier to implementing this approach in Australia: not budget constraints or political will, but the courage to connect.

Our systems often implicitly discourage the very connections that catalyze change. We fear accusations of impropriety, crossing boundaries, or lacking objectivity. These fears, while understandable, have created sterile environments where transformation struggles to take root.

What I witnessed at Diagrama was not the absence of boundaries but their thoughtful implementation – clear lines that created safe spaces for authentic connection rather than preventing it.

The mountain before us requires not just structural change but personal courage – the willingness to be affected, to care deeply, to invest authentically in young lives that society has often deemed unworthy of such investment.

The Journey Continues

As we reimagine youth justice in Australia, we must reconsider not just what we do but how we do it – not just our programs and protocols but the quality of human connection that animates them.

The revolution waiting in our youth justice system begins with a radical premise: that transformation happens not through our sophisticated interventions but through the simple, profound act of one human being truly seeing another.

The path ahead is not easy. It requires vulnerability, consistency, and the willingness to be changed by those we seek to change. But I've witnessed the destination, and it calls us forward.

The mountain before us is steep, but the view from the summit – a justice system where authentic connection creates pathways for genuine transformation – is worth every step of the climb.

Together, we journey toward this vision – not just as professionals implementing programs, but as fellow humans invested in creating a world where every young person knows they matter.

Together, we climb.