In Australia today, the practice of incarcerating children—some as young as 10—continues to cast a long shadow over our justice system. Youth detention in Australia, particularly as it affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, has reached crisis levels. Despite decades of evidence showing that detention causes more harm than good, Australia remains one of the few Western countries where children under the age of 14 can be imprisoned. It’s time to stop criminalising childhood.

Every year, hundreds of children are held in youth detention centres across the country. A disproportionate number are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Although they make up around 6% of the youth population, they account for nearly 50% of those in detention on an average night. This is not a coincidence—it is a consequence of systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, poverty, and the ongoing impacts of colonisation.

Many of these children are detained not because they are dangerous, but because they are disadvantaged. Minor offences, unpaid fines, or simply not having access to safe housing and community support can lead to youth detention in Australia. In some cases, children are held on remand for long periods without being convicted, often because there is nowhere else for them to go. These are not just numbers—they are children who deserve safety, dignity and care.

The consequences of detention are lifelong. It increases the likelihood of reoffending, disconnects children from education, family and culture, and contributes to poor mental health and trauma. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, the damage runs even deeper. It disrupts cultural connection, severs ties to Country, and continues cycles of removal that began with the Stolen Generations.

In 2021, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child reiterated its call for Australia to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to at least 14. Medical, legal and child development experts across the country have echoed this recommendation, pointing to overwhelming evidence that early criminalisation harms children’s development and violates their rights. Yet despite these clear recommendations, most Australian states and territories have failed to take meaningful action to address the harms of youth detention in Australia.

There is hope—and it lies in the leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who continue to advocate for change and for a system that puts children first.

I want to share the pledge led by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS). They need our support. I have signed it, and I encourage you to do so after watching the Town Hall recording linked below.

The pledge calls on us to:

1. Stand against the ongoing criminalisation of childhood

2. Support a movement for justice that puts the rights and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children first

3. Uplift the voices and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and centre the leadership of their communities

These are not radical demands. They are a call to recognise the humanity, potential and dignity of all children. They are a call to choose care over punishment, healing over harm, and justice over incarceration.

The movement to raise the age and reform youth justice is not just about policy—it’s about who we are and what we value as a society. Do we believe children deserve support and opportunity? Or do we accept a system that locks them away and compounds their harm?

It is in small acts of solidarity—signing a pledge, attending a forum, writing to our representatives—that we keep this issue visible. We can be part of a collective voice that refuses to look away, that demands better, and that amplifies the voices of those who’ve been silenced for too long.

We all have a role to play. Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, a carer, a youth worker, or simply someone who believes in fairness, you can be part of this movement. Start by listening. Learn about the history and reality of youth detention in Australia. Educate others. And most importantly—act.

The NATSILS pledge is a powerful starting point. By signing it, you stand in solidarity with children, families and communities calling for a better future. You affirm that no child should be defined by their worst moment—and that all children, no matter their background, deserve to grow up safe, supported and free.

Let’s be the generation that ends youth incarceration—and builds a justice system that truly puts children first.