❓ Mr. Jones asks about initiatives to divert young children from crime and address underlying causes. The Attorney General details the 'On Track to Thrive' pilot program in Armadale and Geraldton, a $7.8 million early intervention initiative involving Education, Health, and Communities departments.
AnsweredQoN 175Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Youth justice—On Track to Thrive program
175. Mr Hugh Jones to
the Attorney General:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities.
(1) Can the Attorney General advise the house how
this government is delivering new initiatives to divert young children from
crime?
(2) Can the Attorney General update the house on
what the government is doing to tackle the underlying causes facing at-risk
young people?
175. Mr Hugh Jones to
the Attorney General:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities.
(1) Can the Attorney General advise the house how
this government is delivering new initiatives to divert young children from
crime?
(2) Can the Attorney General update the house on
what the government is doing to tackle the underlying causes facing at-risk
young people?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for Darling
Range for his question and for his strong advocacy in this area. It was great
to join the member for Darling Range last week in Armadale when we announced a
very exciting new initiative that I am sure the member for Geraldton will also
welcome. The pilot On Track to Thrive program is a really exciting project. It
is about trying to divert young people from the criminal justice system. There
is a two-year pilot program in Armadale and Geraldton. There are 25 participants
in each program. It is a $7.8 million investment by the Cook Labor government.
Most of the kids have been
brought to the attention of the authorities by the police. They have seen the
behaviour of these five-year-old to nine-year-old kids and are worried that
their behaviour will lead them into the criminal justice system when they reach
the age of criminal responsibility. The whole idea is to have early
intervention. The empirical evidence clearly shows that if you intervene early,
you can change a child's life and their life journey, and that is what this program
is all about. Through this investment, the Departments of Education, Health and
Communities will be involved with the families and the communities, so it is a
wraparound service. The Department of Education will be providing dedicated
staff to work alongside the children in schools to ensure that they attend
school, are able to engage in class, receive proper instruction and succeed at
school. The Department of Health will be engaged in providing health screenings
and services and helping families navigate the health system. Unfortunately, a
lot of these kids have cognitive issues, so it is great that they can be
screened at an early age and receive the assistance they need. Also, Aboriginal
community–controlled organisations will be engaged to help the families
become really good parents. They can help those families that are having
trouble with their kids and provide services so we can keep those kids on the
straight and narrow.
I was asked at the press
conference how I will judge success. I will judge success in 12 years time when
I can go to the year 12 graduation of the kids in the program. That is what
success will be. I think this program is the first of its kind in Australia to
this degree. It is really exciting. It is about a government thinking about the
future and thinking, "Let's be smart." Of course, the old criticism
that we often receive from the opposition—"What are you doing to
lock up people?"—is very important, but we want these kids not to
be involved in that. We do not want them to be involved in the criminal justice
system, so we are intervening early. It is all about helping kids, families and
communities.
Range for his question and for his strong advocacy in this area. It was great
to join the member for Darling Range last week in Armadale when we announced a
very exciting new initiative that I am sure the member for Geraldton will also
welcome. The pilot On Track to Thrive program is a really exciting project. It
is about trying to divert young people from the criminal justice system. There
is a two-year pilot program in Armadale and Geraldton. There are 25 participants
in each program. It is a $7.8 million investment by the Cook Labor government.
Most of the kids have been
brought to the attention of the authorities by the police. They have seen the
behaviour of these five-year-old to nine-year-old kids and are worried that
their behaviour will lead them into the criminal justice system when they reach
the age of criminal responsibility. The whole idea is to have early
intervention. The empirical evidence clearly shows that if you intervene early,
you can change a child's life and their life journey, and that is what this program
is all about. Through this investment, the Departments of Education, Health and
Communities will be involved with the families and the communities, so it is a
wraparound service. The Department of Education will be providing dedicated
staff to work alongside the children in schools to ensure that they attend
school, are able to engage in class, receive proper instruction and succeed at
school. The Department of Health will be engaged in providing health screenings
and services and helping families navigate the health system. Unfortunately, a
lot of these kids have cognitive issues, so it is great that they can be
screened at an early age and receive the assistance they need. Also, Aboriginal
community–controlled organisations will be engaged to help the families
become really good parents. They can help those families that are having
trouble with their kids and provide services so we can keep those kids on the
straight and narrow.
I was asked at the press
conference how I will judge success. I will judge success in 12 years time when
I can go to the year 12 graduation of the kids in the program. That is what
success will be. I think this program is the first of its kind in Australia to
this degree. It is really exciting. It is about a government thinking about the
future and thinking, "Let's be smart." Of course, the old criticism
that we often receive from the opposition—"What are you doing to
lock up people?"—is very important, but we want these kids not to
be involved in that. We do not want them to be involved in the criminal justice
system, so we are intervening early. It is all about helping kids, families and
communities.
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