DEAR News Of The Area,

THE Northern Territory election result, a decisive win for the Country Liberal Party, was fought largely on the issue of crime, particularly youth crime.

More than most, being the NT, this means crime by Indigenous children.

One of the first statements of the incoming Chief Minister, Lia Finocchiaro, was to promise to lower the age of criminal responsibility to ten years old.

It brings to mind the famous quote: For every complex problem there is a simple solution… and it is invariably wrong.

The previous Labor government only raised the age of criminal responsibility from ten to twelve two years ago.

The Victorian Labor government has only recently abandoned plans to raise the age to twelve, and then fourteen.

The simple solution is to punish all criminal offenders with the same rules, even if they are children, in the belief that this will make the general community safer.

It won’t, of course, but it makes for a good three word slogan and likely success in an election.

If sending offenders to jail is a solution, and the recidivism rate within two years is greater than 58 percent (NT), then it should be obvious that the solution is not working.

The problem of crime, particularly by youth, is complex and will require a complex array of solutions as different solutions will be more effective with different situations.

Several things we already know are these.

The human brain is not fully developed until around 25 years old.

Certainly, children as young as ten or fourteen cannot, simplistically, be expected to be fully responsible for their actions.

We also know that the younger a person is swept up into the criminal justice system the more likely they are to re-offend as an adult.

For long term community safety it is vital that we seek solutions that keep children out of jail.

Justice reinvestment has been trialled successfully in several locations in NSW and is now being rolled out nationally by the federal government.

It is a promising initiative that is community led but it is important to remember that it is long term.

There will be successes and failures but that is how we learn to do better.

It is not a quick fix but it would be folly to think that any solution could fix the problem of youth crime overnight.

Further, September is International FASD Awareness Month.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is Australia’s leading preventable developmental disability and is caused by drinking during pregnancy.

People with FASD can be impulsive and have difficulty with understanding and learning from consequences.

They can face lifelong challenges and need ongoing support.

I doubt whether this support is provided in jail.

The definition of idiocy is repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

We need to do things differently if we are to achieve change for the better.

I would immediately be suspicious of any politician offering simple solutions to complex problems.

Regards,
Peter SOBEY,
Valla.