The Greens NSW will Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility to 14.
Prison is no place for a child. But in NSW, the minimum age of criminal responsibility is just 10 years old. Kids young enough to still have baby teeth are harassed by police, handcuffed, strip-searched, hauled before the courts and locked in prison cells.
When a child is imprisoned they are denied the care, support and education they need. The international standard for the age of criminal responsibility is 14.
Other States and Territories in Australia have begun raising the age, it’s time NSW gets on board. The ACT, Victoria and NT has already committed to raising the age of criminal responsibility, thanks to ongoing pressure of community activists and people like you – now it is NSW's turn.
Here's our plan:
- Raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years of age with no-one under 16 eligible for a custodial sentence
- Develop a whole of government strategy to keep young people out of prison and address the structural drivers of criminalisation
- Establish a statewide diversionary and restorative justice framework, including specific support for First Nations led justice reinvestment programs
- Require active efforts to be taken to support the families of young people impacted by the criminal legal system
- Require police and all youth detention centres to respect the human rights of children and reduce the harm done to young people in custody
- But we need your help
First Nations communities need to have the power to make their own decisions about the support and care of their young people. First Nations children and young people make up more than half of the youth population in NSW prisons. This disproportionate representation is a marker of the ongoing impacts of colonisation, white supremacy and dispossession, and continuation of the taking of First Nations children from their families.
Together, we can build pressure on the New South Wales Government to make this crucial change that will give children a fair chance to thrive. The Greens are committed to helping children and young people learn from their mistakes and setting them up to lead full and happy lives.
Will you add your name to our support our plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility in NSW?