MPs from across the political spectrum have voiced worries about a new Victorian policy that a legal expert claims could be seen as treating the imprisonment of children as a form of therapy. The plan, announced by Premier Ben Carroll, would direct children who commit low and mid‑level offences to secure facilities such as the former Malmsbury youth justice centre for schooling, drug and alcohol treatment and life‑skills training. The proposal has sparked debate over its potential impact on vulnerable children and the broader approach to juvenile justice in the state.
MPs across factional lines share concerns about policy that legal expert says ‘paints the imprisonment of children as therapeutic’Get our daily political email, free app or daily news podcastUntil December last year, Meena Singh was the Victorian commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people, a role that saw her advocating for some of the state’s most vulnerable children.She had held the role since 2022. In all that time, she says, nobody from the Victorian government had approached her with a proposal like the one the Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, announced last week: a $204m “tough love” plan to send children who commit low and mid-level offences to secure facilities, including the former Malmsbury youth justice centre, for schooling, drug and alcohol treatment and life skills. Continue reading...
