Alternatives to Violence Project WA

Wish we had the resources to work in the youth detention centres

What if Western Australia could learn directly from the people who've transformed youth justice systems overseas?

This week, international youth justice reform experts from New York, Spain and Hawai'i visited Perth after speaking at the Reintegration Puzzle Conference. They visited Banksia Hill Detention Centre — and this morning joined WA's community and First Nations sector to share what's possible.

These experts have turned broken systems around. New York reduced children in prison by 82%. Spain's Diagrama model cut reoffending from 85% to 15%. Hawai'i closed 80% of its youth detention centres and reduced youth crime by 86%.

None of them believed this scale of change was possible when they started. Each worked across government and with community to get there.

These jurisdictions have shown change is possible. Western Australia has the opportunity to do the same.

Read more: https://loom.ly/Xd9nMkk