6 March 2025
The Greens say the State Government must get tough on the causes of crime rather than pursue populist ‘law and order policies’ if it wants to make the community safer.
The call comes as the Government today unveils new youth justice proposals that may see youth offenders face tougher penalties and bikie-style meeting bans.
“The Labor and Liberal parties are turning youth crime into a political football. Locking more kids up might make for good headlines, but it also makes crime worse by limiting rehabilitation and increasing reoffending,” said Greens SA Justice Spokesperson Robert Simms MLC.
“Kids in detention are not learning new skills, building positive social networks or getting any support for the factors that led them to offend in the first place.”
“Rather than pushing more populist law and order policies, the Government must get tough on the causes of youth crime by fully funding public schools, expanding free meal programs, increasing access to free mental health sessions, and directing funding towards early intervention and diversion programs that actually improve safety.”
“According to figures revealed by the Attorney-General in Parliament this week, South Australia is the second lowest jurisdiction in the country when it comes to youth offending. Despite this, we are seeing the Labor and Liberal parties locked in an unedifying race to the bottom. All this confected ‘youth crime wave’ does is demonise young people and cause anxiety within the community.”
The Greens have a bill before Parliament to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 in line with the recommendations of the United Nations and human rights groups.