GCI partnered with the Australasian Juvenile Justice Administrators (AJJA), to host the From Evidence to Practice: The 2nd Australasian Youth Justice Conference. AJJA comprises of senior executives from around Australia and New Zealand and is committed to creating, influencing and communicating knowledge and opportunity to provide better outcomes for children and young people in the youth justice system.
Informed by the Principles of Youth Justice in Australia, the conference was held in Brisbane from 13-15 September 2016, and was of great interest to researchers, policy makers and practitioners from government and non-government sectors, attracting over 240 attendees.
The conference included 44 concurrent presentations, 3 panel discussions, 5 keynotes, various poster presentations and a Youth Justice Showcase which had conference delegates up close and personal with exciting and emerging initiatives within Youth Justice that will help make Youth Justice goals a reality.
Keynote presentations included:
- Youth mental health and offending – synergies and disconnects – Assoc Prof Rosemary Purcell, Orygen
- Beyond Detention: The dire outcomes of delinquent youth in adulthood – Prof Linda Teplin, Northwestern University
- Aboriginal engagement, diversion and new ways of working – Prof Colleen Hayward, Edit Cowan University
- Rangatahi courts as social justice: Beyond restorative and towards transformative justice – Khylee Quince, University of Auckland
- Crafting respect: Innovative justice and youth offending – Prof Rob White, University of Tasmania
Delegates had many opportunities to collaborate over the 3 days and were challenged about ways that new learnings and best practice evidence can be used to address the complex issues impacting children and young people and how to create system and practice reforms to reduce reoffending and improve life outcomes for these children and young people, their families and communities.
