DEBATE: The bold new plan to eliminate youth prisons

Image credit: @VCOSS

The Victorian Council of Social Service is pushing for an end to youth jails, saying they don’t work.

They propose replacing the centres with community-based intervention and rehabilitation.

VCOSS president, Emma King, told Tony Jones it’s the current system doesn’t work.

But Tony argued victims were forgotten in that

Tony Jones: You make it sound like they (the child offenders) are the victims.

Emma King: In many case they are.

Tony Jones: No, they’re not the victims. The victims are the ones at the receiving end of their horrible crimes.

Emma King: That’s exactly right. But also Tony, if you’re a young child who’d been in out-of-home care, who’s dropped out of the education system for a whole lot of things, then your life isn’t looking too good either.

Tony Jones: Yeah and that can also be an excuse.

Emma King: My point is, let’s be preventative, let’s actually look at how we give young people the best start.

Click PLAY for the full exchange, and to hear Emma King’s full wishlist for 2018