29 August 2024
Roger Jaensch, Minister for Children and Youth
An expert panel has been appointed to provide independent advice on the transition to a therapeutic model for youth justice.
Minister for Children and Youth, Roger Jaensch, said the establishment of the Youth Justice Reform Expert Panel was an important step in accelerating youth justice reform in Tasmania, including the closure of the Ashley Youth Detention Centre.
“The Tasmanian Government’s whole-system reform of youth justice takes an integrated and therapeutic approach, focused on the rights of children, rehabilitation and breaking the cycle of offending to create generational change,” Minister Jaensch said.
“The Youth Justice Reform Expert Panel will provide independent advice on our Youth Justice Blueprint 2024-2034 which outlines the direction for youth justice in Tasmania with a focus on early intervention and diversion.
“The Blueprint is focused on reducing the numbers of young people offending and the severity of offending behaviours, and minimising the number of young people who spend time in detention, by addressing the underlying drivers of offending behaviours."
The expert panel is chaired by The Honourable Robert Benjamin AM SC, who served as one of the three Commissioners responsible for the recent Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings.
Collectively, the panel covers independent expertise in fields relating to youth justice services, child and adolescent development, health, child rights, Aboriginal children and young people, education, trauma and abuse, and youth justice facility design.
Another group, the Youth Justice Reform Community Engagement Group, came together for the first time on July 29 to provide input into the Youth Justice Model of Care.
The engagement group provides a forum for the Government to engage with representatives from community service organisations with important roles in the youth justice system who need to be involved in the reform process.
The Tasmanian Government’s 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future includes $6 million for initiatives that aim to reduce youth offending, and improve life outcomes for at-risk young people while the broader youth justice reforms are underway.
Panel Membership
NAME | Position |
The Honourable Robert Benjamin AM SC (Chair) | Commissioner, Lawyer and former Judge of Family Court of Australia |
Professor Brett McDermott | Statewide Specialty Director – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Department of Health |
Dr Catherine Robinson | Associate Professor in Communities and Social Justice, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania (UTAS) |
Dr Iain Matheson | Director, Research Centre for Better Outcomes from Fostering and Residential Care (Better Outcomes) |
Kristen Wylie | Director, Tasmania Legal Aid |
Professor Rob White | Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Criminology, UTAS |
Rodney Dillon | Indigenous Rights Advisor, Amnesty International Australia (representative for Aboriginal children and young people) |
Dr Sanne Oostermeijer | Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne |
Dr Stephanie Liddicoat | Senior Social Innovator, The Australian Centre for Social Innovation |
Sam Ledger | Representative with operational detention centre experience |
Ex-Officio Members | DPAC and DECYP representatives |