JUSTICEHUB

AUSTRALIAN BEST PRACTICE

Australian Frameworks

Learn from 4 Australian state frameworks. Queensland, NSW, Victoria, and Western Australia — each analysed with outcomes, strengths, challenges, and resources.

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40%

Custody reduction NSW Youth Koori Court

MST/FFT

Evidence-based therapy trials in Victoria

$134M

Queensland investment 2018-2023

71%

WA detention are Aboriginal (6% population)

Australian State Frameworks

See where these state-level approaches operate across Australia. Click markers for key outcomes and challenges.

New South Wales

NSW Youth Koori Court

"40% reduction in custodial sentences for Aboriginal young people"

Established in 2015 at Parramatta Children's Court, the Youth Koori Court uses Elders and respected people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to address underlying causes of offending. The court develops Action and Support Plans addressing risk factors like homelessness, education disengagement, and health issues while strengthening cultural connections.

Key Outcomes

40%

Custody Reduction at Sentencing

less likely to receive custodial sentence at court finalisation

84%

Custody at Re-conviction

less likely to receive custody if they reoffend

57 → 25 days

Average Detention Time

average custody time reduced from 57 to 25 days

Victoria

Victoria's Therapeutic Youth Justice Model

"Evidence-based Risk-Need-Responsivity approach with MST and FFT trials"

Victoria's youth justice system uses a Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) framework that matches interventions to risk levels, addresses offending-related needs, and responds to individual characteristics. The state is trialling evidence-based family therapeutic interventions including Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST) and Functional Family Therapy (FFT), with strong emphasis on community-based rather than custodial responses.

Key Outcomes

Similar/Lower

Community-Based Success

recidivism rates vs residential treatment at far reduced cost

17 years

SABTS Program

of proven community-based treatment since 2007

Strongest

Evidence Base

for community settings with defined therapeutic approaches

Queensland

Queensland Youth Justice Diversion & Restorative Justice

"First Nations-led programs with $134M investment, identifying critical improvement areas"

Queensland has invested significantly in youth justice diversion and restorative justice programs, particularly for First Nations young people. The state spent $134M between 2018-2023, with 32% allocated to First Nations-led organizations. However, recent audits and reviews have identified critical challenges including high reoffending rates (75% within 2 weeks, 84-96% within 12 months) and limited program effectiveness assessment.

Key Outcomes

75%

Reoffending Rate (2 weeks)

reoffend within 2 weeks of release - major challenge identified

84-96%

Reoffending Rate (12 months)

reoffend within 12 months - among highest in Australia

$134M

Program Investment

spent 2018-2023, but limited effectiveness assessment

Western Australia

WA Aboriginal Youth Justice Programs

"Addressing severe overrepresentation: 71% in detention are Aboriginal (6% of population)"

Western Australia faces the most severe Aboriginal youth overrepresentation in Australia, with 71% of children in detention being Aboriginal despite comprising only 6% of the youth population. First Nations young people are 27 times more likely to be under youth justice supervision and 40 times overrepresented in detention. Community-led justice reinvestment programs show promise but face critical underfunding.