Are We Safe Yet? Experiments with “Adult Crime, Adult Time” in Queensland, Australia
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The University of Queensland
Australia -
UNSW Sydney; The University of Queensland Australia
Abstract
When the new “Adult Crime, Adult Time” laws were passed in Queensland, Australia, lawyers and scholars predicted they would not have the desired deterrent effect. However, in the year following the legal changes, there was a significant reduction in the number of children proceeded against by police, particularly for break and enter and motor vehicle-related offences. We consider why the Adult Crime, Adult Time amendments to the Youth Justice Act 1992 (Qld) were “successful” in reducing offending by children when other legislative amendments have not had the same effect. We also consider the broader consequences of the legal changes for children who continue to offend, and the “contagion effect” the Queensland laws have had on other youth justice systems.
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Author Biographies
Tamara Walsh PhD is a Professor of Law at the University of Queensland. She has degrees in both Law and Social Work, and her interest is in social welfare law and human rights law. In 2008, she established the UQ Pro Bono Centre, which is now a flagship program of the UQ Law School. In 2016, she established the UQ Deaths in Custody Project which administers a public website on all deaths in custody in Australia. She teaches Human Rights Law and Children’s Law.
Xin Zhang PhD is a Research Associate at UNSW Sydney and a Casual Senior Research Assistant at The University of Queensland. He holds a degree in Artificial Intelligence and has expertise in biostatistics, machine learning and applied data science. His research interests include paediatric health, adolescent mental health, youth offending. His work applies statistical and computational methods to administrative, clinical and court-related data, with a focus on improving healthcare quality, supporting personalised care, and generating evidence to inform clinical practice, law and public policy.