Worth A Second Chance

Almost everywhere in Australia, children as young as 10 can be arrested, charged, and imprisoned. Email your MP asking them to #RaiseTheAge of criminal responsibility to keep young children out of prisons and in schools, playgrounds and communities – where they can be held to account for their actions and supported to reset their lives.

Almost everywhere in Australia, children as young as 10 can be arrested, charged, and imprisoned. Email your MP asking them to #RaiseTheAge of criminal responsibility to keep young children out of prisons and in schools, playgrounds and communities – where they can be held to account for their actions and supported to reset their lives.

Email Premier Jacinta Allan

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We're calling on Victoria as Australia's most progressive state to lead the way in responding effectively to young people in trouble.

Send a message to Premier Jacinta Allan asking her government to immediately raise the of criminal responsibility to 14, with no exceptions, in line with expert medical evidence and international human rights standards.

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Dear Premier Allan and Attorney-General Symes,

I write to you as a concerned Victorian and a supporter of the Worth a Second Chance campaign for more fair, humane and effective youth justice systems.

I strongly support your Government's commitment to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years in 2024 and 14 years in 2027. Raising the age to 14 is the evidence-based and compassionate reform that would make a real difference in the lives of young people on the margins.

Calls for amendments, carveouts and additional police powers would undermine the effectiveness of these important legislative changes, which is why I am calling on you to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years, with no exceptions.

This is in line with expert medical evidence, international human rights standards and would give Victoria a unique opportunity to show strong leadership and solidify its place as Australia’s most progressive state.

As Australia's most progressive state, Victoria has a unique opportunity now to show strong leadership and raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years, with no exceptions. This is in line with expert medical evidence and international human rights standards.

Experts agree younger children have not developed the social, emotional and intellectual maturity necessary for legal responsibility. Simply locking up vulnerable young children, rather than addressing their behaviour, starts a cycle of incarceration that is hard to break. The earlier a child becomes caught in the justice system, the harder it is to get out.

Children who come into contact with the youth legal system are likely to have faced a tough start to life. The most effective and compassionate way to respond to these vulnerable young people isn't the isolation and harm of the prison system – it is addressing the underlying issues driving their behaviour, including family dysfunction, trauma, abuse and neglect.

In providing leadership we expect the Victorian Government to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years with no exceptions, and put in place restorative responses that work with families, schools and communities to support – rather than punish – vulnerable children.

All children are worth a second chance – which is why I call on the Victorian Government to give young people the opportunity to flourish.

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