I can barely remember what it was like to be a kid - but I can be sure that when authority told me to get in line, threatened my character and forced me into the corner - I would bite. I would show them how rebellious I really was. And that's exactly what I see happening with the Queensland government's current approach to youth justice.

The Community Safety Plan, with its billion-dollar budget and focus on increased policing and detention, seems more concerned with appeasing voters in the lead-up to the arbitrary showboating like the Olympics than truly investing in the long-term wellbeing of our state's most vulnerable youth. It's a short-sighted, reactionary approach that fails to address the root causes of offending and instead perpetuates a cycle of harm and disadvantage.

The statistics paint a grim picture. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are 24 times more likely to be in detention than their non-Indigenous counterparts, despite making up only 6% of the 10-17 year old population (AIHW, 2021). A staggering 94% of youth in detention have experienced at least one form of neglect, trauma, or abuse (AIFS, 2020). And once caught in the cycle of incarceration, 44% will return within 12 months of release (AIHW, 2020).

It's clear that the current system is failing our young people, and simply doubling down on punishment and deprivation only perpetuates harm. But what if there was another way? What if we looked to the innovative thinking of successful companies to reshape our approach?

Act 1: The Reality on the Ground

To understand what a reimagined youth justice system could look like, we first need to grapple with the realities facing Aboriginal young people in Queensland today. Recent research by Butcher et al. (2021) offers valuable insights from community members across regional and remote areas, where over 40% of Aboriginal youth in the justice system originate.

Through in-depth interviews, a clear picture emerges of the complex web of factors driving youth offending. Poverty and unemployment are rife, with many young people struggling to meet basic needs. Intergenerational trauma from policies of forced removal and cultural dispossession continues to ripple through families and communities. Disconnection from education, country and cultural identity leaves many youth adrift.

As one community member shared: "If you don't know who you are, you don't know your identity, your sense of self, you don't see a long-term plan because why would you have aspirations in a job where no one can get to towns and the majority of people you know have been in overcrowded houses or struggling to overcome homelessness. It's not a big secret why our numbers are the way they are."

Crucially, the research also highlights the incredible strengths and resilience of Aboriginal communities – the strong kinship networks, the deep cultural knowledge, the determination to break cycles of disadvantage. But these community assets are too often overlooked or undermined by top-down, one-size-fits-all interventions.

As another participant advocated, "You need to start looking at the communities as individuals. So if you can look at a community as an individual, and sort out a case plan for that community, you're going to be fine. But don't force a program from south Sydney, metropolitan area, onto an outreach location, because they are very, very different issues, and they are different communities."

Act 2: A New Vision

So what would it look like for the Queensland government to put these community insights at the centre of a transformed youth justice agenda? To start, it would mean a fundamental shift in mindset and power dynamics.

Rather than viewing youth offending through a narrow lens of individual deficits and deviance, policymakers would adopt a systems perspective – mapping out the complex interplay of structural, cultural and situational factors that shape a young person's trajectory. This holistic view would spur investment in the social determinants of youth wellbeing, such as housing, healthcare, education and employment pathways.

It would also prompt a reorientation of resources from back-end detention to front-end prevention and diversion. Imagine if even a fraction of the current youth justice budget was redirected to evidence-based, community-led early intervention programs that provide mentoring, cultural connection, and wrap-around support to at-risk youth and families. The long-term social and economic returns would far outweigh the short-term political appeal of seeming 'tough on crime'.

Critically, this new vision would position Aboriginal communities as essential partners in co-designing and co-delivering youth justice solutions. Policymakers would take their lead from Aboriginal Elders, organisations and young leaders, respecting their cultural authority and deep understanding of local needs and strengths. Initiatives like community-based healing circles, bush camps, and cultural mentoring would be elevated and scaled, leveraging Aboriginal ways of being and doing.

Accountability would be reframed around what communities value, with success measured not just by recidivism rates but by indicators of social and emotional wellbeing, cultural identity, and community empowerment. Youth and families would be active participants in shaping programs and tracking outcomes - their voices and aspirations at the forefront.

Act 3: A Call to Action

Achieving this vision will require courageous leadership and a willingness to challenge entrenched attitudes and practices. It means ceding power and control to those with lived experience and cultural wisdom. It means investing for the long-haul and embracing the uncertainty of innovation.

But the alternative - more of the same revolving door of youth detention and despair - is unacceptable. As a society, we have a moral imperative to do better by our most vulnerable young people. And in truth, a youth justice system that heals and empowers rather than punishes and marginalises benefits us all.

So to our policymakers, we say: be brave. Look beyond the next news cycle or election to the kind of Queensland we want to create for generations to come. Partner with Aboriginal communities to forge a new path guided by their knowledge and resilience. Invest in the potential of our youth, not the expansion of our prisons.

And to our fellow Queenslanders: lend your voice to the call for change. Challenge the narratives of fear and retribution that drive failed policies. Champion community-led solutions and hold our leaders accountable for delivering real results.

Together, we can transform youth justice from a site of trauma and stigma to a source of healing, hope and restoration. We can build a Queensland where every young person has the opportunity and support to thrive. Let us seize this moment, learn from past failings, and take inspiration from innovative frameworks to forge a more just, compassionate and effective way forward.Our kids are counting on us.

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