Research shows young people who have contact with the youth justice system in Australia are more likely to die prematurely and from preventable causes.
The study, led by Curtin University and published in The Lancet Public Health, examined 48,670 young people who had contact with the youth justice system in Queensland between 1993 and 2017 to determine morality outcomes.
It found young people were 4.2 times more likely than their community peers to die prematurely, with suicide, traffic accidents and drug poisoning the most common causes of death.
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Lead researcher Stuart Kinner, the head of the Justice Health Group at Curtin University, said most of the deaths occurred before the age of 25, with “severe and prolonged contact” with the criminal justice system a risk factor for premature death.
“Compared to those who had only been charged with an offence, the likelihood of premature death was 30 per cent higher for those who had been subjected to community supervision, and 90 per cent higher for those who had spent time in youth detention,” Kinner said.
Researchers said the study highlighted the need to support young people after detention.
“Young people who have had contact with the youth justice system may have difficult family relationships and are at an increased risk of homelessness, mental illness, substance use disorder, and risk-taking behaviours, making them particularly vulnerable,” Kinner said.
Despite extensive research showing poor outcomes for children detained or in contact with the justice system, the state government is pushing forward with harsher measures to punish young offenders, announcing more than a dozen new offences will be added to “adult crime, adult time” laws this week.
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