TheUTGJournalIssueNo.2

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Editorial:DickJones

Dr. Richard (Dick) Jones gave some verythought-provoking election speeches. Forexample, following his 1975 SenateElection speech in an Editorial TheExaminer 1 commented that UTG hadproduced more ideas relevant toTasmania than have all the other partiescombined.

InthisspeechDickpointedoutthat:Tasmania’s own party represents nosectional interests; (and)unlike someindependents,wewearnodisguises.

TheUnitedTasmaniaGroupbecameapoliticalpartybecausethetwomajorpartieswereputtingasidedemocraticprinciples,inTasmania.

The United Tasmania Group worksand breathes by a New Ethic, whichbinds ourmembers towork togetherwithoutfearorfavourforthebenefitof all citizens… Our Ethic condemnsthe misuse of power. No otherpolitical party gives you thisguarantee of ethical behaviour fromyour representatives. (A revised,redesigned A New Ethic will beavailablesoon).

Also, there are extensive arguments inthis speech that present politicians coulduse to defend Tasmania in the debate

1 TheExaminer,Launceston,Editorial,26August1976

about the GST distribution (via GrantsCommission)toTasmania.2

With the forthcoming state electionsanother comment thatDickmade,whichis just as relevant today, Don’t bedisturbed by silly arguments that theU.T.G. kept so and so out of Parliamentandaren’tweashamed!(tut!)-Thesamemisleadingargumentisbeingusedtoday;in fact, we have been lobbied byTasmanian Green supporters not toreformasapoliticalparty.

UTG has changed since the 1977 UTGState Conference, following 10 electioncampaigns over 5 years (1972-77), Dickdeclared at this conference that: Ourbusinessistofightelections.

The fact that the newly re-formed UTGhas not formally re-registered as apoliticalpartydoesnotmeanwearenotpolitical - we are even more so thanbeforeand,dependingontheoutcomeofthe next State election, we may registeragain, particularly as we now havefinancialbacking.

TheUnitedTasmaniaGroupisTasmania’s(only)ownparty.Wehaveproducedmoreideas relevant to Tasmania than have allthe other parties combined – and it istowardthatendthatUTGwillcontinuetomaintain the best evidence-based social,environmental and economic policies forTasmania. Inthis issueofthe journal twosuch policies are presented: Preventingchildabuseandneglect,andYouthJusticeReinvestment. The Editorial Committeefor this issue of the journal has beenexpandedtoaccommodatethesepolicies.

2 Fulltranscriptofthis14-pagespeechwillbepublishedasanarticleonourmainfacebooksite.

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Also,asshouldbeclearfromthecontentof The UTG Journal, we will continue topresenthistoricalaccountsof theoriginaldevelopment of Green politics and theconservation movement in Tasmania –something that has been sadly lacking todate.

Correctiontophotocaptiononpage8ofTheUTGJournal#1:Captionshouldread:'EarlyphotoofsomeUTGactiviststakingacampaignbreak(therewere10electioncampaignsoveraperiodof5years)'-NOT6years,infactitwasalmostexactly5years,March1972–April1977.

Allpartiesareresponsibleforourprotectedareas

KevinKiernan

Tothosegenerationswhohavenothadtofight to create our national parks andreserves they perhaps seem as ifsomething that has always been there,muchlikeamountainorariver.Buttheseplaces were hard won, and at greatpersonalcosttomanypeople.

Increasingly we see the consequences ofsuccessive generations having assumedthat the degraded environmentalinheritancelefttothemisthenorm,and,havingbeensuccessfullyconvincedthatitwould be unreasonable not to let just alittlemoreofalltheyhaveeverknownslipaway,handonthatinheritancejustalittlefurther depleted. Only one outcome ispossible when successive generationsbehaveinthisway.Nocandidateorpartythataspires topolitical leadership shouldwant tobepartof this insidiousprocess,and nor should they be permitted to bepartofit.

The environment affects us all, and theresponsibility to protect it rests with all,not justwith thosepoliticianswhomightwearitontheirsleeve.Itispasttimethatthe major parties acknowledged thisreality, ceased using it as a weaponagainst political opponents, and startedhonouring all those among their ownsupporters who consider conservation tobejustasimportantasdomembersoftheGreens.

To occasionally mouth platitudes aboutclimate change is not enough. Climatechangeisobviouslyabigandover-archingconcern that demands urgent attention,but it does not negate all the otherenvironmental issues that confront us.Increasingly, the burden of that globaltask iscastingashadowthat isobscuringall theotherchallengesrighthereonourdoorstep,andblindingustotheoldadageabouttheneedtothinkgloballybuttoactlocally,theonlyplacewherewereallycan.

Howlongwillitbebeforevestedinterestsstart trying to bluff us that we have aglobal responsibility to flood the FranklinRiverafterall,arguingthatitispreferableto burning coal for power, as if coalwasthe only alternative energy source, anddrowning yet more of the Earth’s greenlungsasiftheyneednotbefactoredintothe equation? I bet thatwill happen farsooner than our political leaders willacknowledge, the impactupontheglobalenvironment of the billions of tonnes ofcarbon released into the atmosphere inorder to transport to this island ever-increasing multitudes of tourists withmoneyintheirpockets.

As prices rise tomatchwhat touristswillpayratherthanwhatthegoodsarereallyworth, our kids’ hopes that they mightever afford a house of their own grow

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dimmer. Meanwhile a relative fewbenefit financially from the consumptionofour communalnatural inheritanceandeffectivefreeuseoftheinfrastructureforwhichwe fool taxpayersmust alone footthe bill. Those who prosper dangle thecarrot of public support and campaignfunds for aspirants to new or continuingpolitical office, provided only that theyallowthedoorsofournationalparksandother protected areas to be battereddown in order to permit their ransackingthroughconversionintoindustrialscenerymines.

Ofthemorethan1,000areasaroundtheglobe that have now been formallyrecognisedasWorldHeritageAreas,mosthave achieved that designation on thebasis of meeting just one of the tenpossible criteria underwhich designationasaWorldHeritageAreacanbeassigned.The Tasmanian Wilderness WorldHeritagearea(TWWHA) isoneofonly29sitesworldwidethathavequalifiedunderboth natural heritage and culturalheritage criteria. It qualifies under anincredible seven of the ten possibleformal criteria. Only one other site onEarthmeetsthismanycriteria,andnoneexceedsthisnumber.

This status is theconsideredopinionofarepresentativebodyofassessorswhoareable to draw upon a worldwide networkofspecialistadvisors,andwhodosoasamatter of course before arriving at anydecision.

Hence, the TWWHA is not some trivialconfection by conservationists dreamedup in a bid to frustrate developers, orsomeplaythingconjuredupbyonesideorother of politics in order to chase votes.In living in Tasmania, we enjoy anextraordinary privilege that ought not be

takenforgranted,justbecauseitisinourown backyard rather than in someseemingly exotic and romanticised placebeyondthehorizon.

Moreover,we live on an island, and in acountry, that is by no means soimpoverishedastobeunabletoproperlytend this Edenwithwhichwehavebeengifted. Look beyond if you thinkotherwise.Muchofwhatyouwillseewillbe a wounded, beleaguered and shell-shocked world where poverty and realhuman needs make all but impossibleprotection of such green lungs as cloakour hillsides. Yet we lay waste to thoselungstomanufacturepaperlitterthenpayratesand taxes tohave itpickedup,andconvert our national parks into scenerymines for the benefit of tourismentrepreneurs, more out of sectionalavariceamidgeneraliseddisinterestthanforanyrealneed.

Some seek to excuse our profligacy byarguing that we are already leaders inconservation, because we have a largerarea of intact Nature in protected areasthan do those placeswhere any hope ofdoing likewisehas longagoalreadybeeneaten, over-populated, bombed ornapalmedoutofexistence.Butwehavearesponsibly to safeguard our protectedareas,andwecanaffordtoliveuptothatresponsibility.

Thosewhoaspiretopoliticalofficesharethat responsibility. And as theforthcoming state election approaches,theelectoratehasaresponsibilitytoholdthemtoit.

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Preventingchildabuseandneglect

GeoffHolloway

Twenty-three years ago I had a stand-upverbal fight with the Minister for theFamilyandChildren’sServicesinWesternAustralia,MrRogerNicholls,1995. Whatthe fight was about was his refusal toaccept the figures I had collated on theincidence of child abuse in WesternAustralia. He stormed out of theparliamentaryoffice; Iwasdeterminedtoshow that the data was correct andproceeded to augment the data withreports from domestic violence refuges.At that time I was part of a multi-universityWesternAustralianConsortiumfor Social Policy Research. We had beencommissioned by theMinister towrite areport on ‘the state of the family inWesternAustralia’.Wealmostdidnotgetpaid.Thefullreportwasneverpublished.

Since the timeof thatanecdote littlehaschanged anywhere in Australia – in fact,the incidence of child abuse and neglecthas continued to rise. And governmentshave continued to try to address theproblembypouringincreasingamountsofmoneyintothewrongendoftheviolencecycle–theincidence(thenumberofnewcases over a given time period) end, likehaving ambulances at the bottom of thecliff to collect people falling off, ratherthandoingsomethingtostoppeoplefromfallingoff the cliff in the firstplace– thepreventionstrategy.

Iwas teachingauniversity courseon thesociology of the family at that time, andfor every lecture on child abuse I wouldhavecounsellorsreadytoaddressthelineofstudentscomingtomeconfoundedbytheirownexperiences.

Jumpforwardeightyears,workinginchildprotection in the Tasmanian bureaucracycompiling figures on child abuse. Mymanager refused to accept that thenumber of unallocated cases i of childabuse had reached 800. I was told tochange the figures. I was bullied, andeventually had no choice but to resign.After my resignation the number ofunallocated cases continued to rise andreachedabout1,600.

The message is clear – no one reallywants to know the incidence andprevalenceofchildmaltreatment.Infact,there has never been a prevalence studyconducted across Australia. Prevalencemeans howwidespread it is – there is amyth that child abuse only occurs inworking class or single parent families,which is far from the truth – Iwon’t gointo the reasons for this misconceptionhere (that would take another article).According to the Australian Institute ofHealthandWelfare, a familymemberorclose family friend perpetrates 90% ofchildabuse.

From the accumulated experience andresearch over ten years or so, andmanyconversations with frontline childprotection staff, I began to formulate adifferent strategy for addressing childmaltreatment. Imoved to Canberra, wasworking with the Australian ResearchAlliance for Children and Youth (ARACY)andpresentedaone-pageproposaltotheinstigatorandChairofARACY–ProfessorFiona Stanley AC, FAA. She respondedenthusiasticallywhichsetinmotionalongseriesofinvestigationsandreports,whichI won’t go into detail here. Sufficient tosay, at last a prevention strategy wasbeingdeveloped,andsome$2millionhasbeen spent evaluating (formative and

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summative) and testing this strategy bymy rough calculation, including seminalworkiiby the Allen Consulting Group andevaluations by the University of NSW. Iwas Research Manager for ARACYoverseeing all thiswork. Twoof the keypeople involved in this research are nowlivinginTasmania,PamMuthandMichaelWhite.

That all began 12 years ago (2006) andthen recently, in March 2016, the StateLiberal Government announced theimplementation strategy for the redesignof the child protection system acrossTasmaniaiii- thatwas two years ago (butthe actual redesign was announced inAugust2015,eightmonthsearlier).

Since then there have been no reportsforthcomingastohowthistransformationhas been progressing. Neither the LaborParty nor the Tasmanian Greens havebeen asking any questions – largelybecause theirpoliciesarestill focusedon‘ambulancesatthebottomofcliffs’.

This prevention strategy is called theCommon Assessment, Referral andSupport (CAARS), now simply referred toas the Common Approach. The CommonApproach is a prevention-focused andflexible way of working to help everyonehave quality conversations with youngpeopleandtheirfamiliesaboutallaspectsof theirwellbeing. These aspects fall intosixwellbeingareas thatalignwith:Lovedand Safe, Healthy, Participating, PositiveSense of Culture and Identity, MaterialBasics, and Learning. iv The CommonApproach is a practical tool that can beused across a variety of professions (e.g,teachers, social workers, medical staff,police,bureaucrats,etc.)usingacommonlanguage for initial assessments ofchildrenatrisk,whoarethenreferredon

forsupportandotherspecialisedservicesaccording to need. It is designed toprevent the occurrence of child abuse orneglect.

In answer to a parliamentary questionasking, “…how the Child Protectionredesign statement has been received inthecommunity?”theMinisterforHumanServices, the Hon. Jacquie Petrusma MPresponded,“…the redesignof Tasmania’schild protection system, led by ProfessorMaria Harries, finally provides Tasmaniawith a framework to fundamentallyimprove the lives of vulnerable children,young people and their families. Thisreport and the Government’s responseaddresses the issues that have plaguedthe child protection services in this statefor far too long – decades. We aredetermined to rebuild this system andsupport and protect Tasmania’svulnerable children and young people.”(16March2016)vThere is a common misconception - thatimplementing a prevention strategywill takemuch-neededmoneyawayfrominvestigationandsupportservices.Assomehighlyregardedexperts have acknowledged, implementingtheCommonApproachmayinvolve,ineffect,‘doublebudgeting’foraninitialperiod.viOncethepreventionstrategiestakeeffectitwillnolonger be necessary to keep increasing theamounts going into the ‘pointy end of thesystem’ (tertiary services). This strategy iswhat is known as thepublic healthmodel, aconceptoriginallydevelopedbyProf.DorothyScott.vii

It is difficult to assess how the redesignprocess and the uptake of the CommonApproach are progressing, as there havebeen no public reports. However, in theImplementationPlanitisstatedthat,"TheCommon Approach is currently being

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implemented across education, health,allied health and social serviceorganisations throughoutAustralia. Take-up in Tasmania has, however, beenlimited." viii Meanwhile, the redesignprocessaside,caseloadsremainveryhighand ´staffmoralehasneverbeen lower ´.As for the Common Approach, it is clearthat there is much confusion andfrustrationaboutwhatitactuallyentails.

How do governments get away with notaddressing child abuse (child protectionservices alone cost Australia $1 billionevery year3according to the ProductivityCommission, 2017)? – easy, just holdanother inquiry. Over the past twentyyears there have been two inquiries onaverage every year into child protectionsomewhere in Australia. In Australiathere have beenmore than 42 state andterritory inquiries into child protectionservices since 1997 and each haveidentified ongoing and chronic systemicproblems (see report referenced above,page13).

Why are the hundreds ofrecommendations from these enquiriesnever implemented? Complex (‘wicked’)problems involve complex solutions, butthere five main reasons for the lack ofimplementationofrecommendations:

1. Lack of political will, besides thevotingpublicisnotveryinterested-‘it happens in other people’sfamilies, not mine’ (by far themajority of abuse is emotionalabuse).

2. Short-termfocusbypoliticalparties(acommonproblem).

3 Thisisdoesnotincludeothercosts,whichhavebeenestimatedtobeanadditional$3.3billionayear(ProductivityCommission,2016).

3. Resistance (‘organisational inertia’)within child protectionbureaucracies, especially by uppermanagement (‘I amabout to retire,don't rock the boat…’). Included inthis is the difficulty of changingorganisational/professional cultures–aspointedoutinthe2009ARACYreport,InvertingthePyramid.

4. Wrong focus – the focus rarely, ifever, shifts from reactive topreventionstrategies.

5. Somereportsarebadlywritten(butpossibly the most comprehensivereport I have read is that of RobynLayton QC in 2003 in SouthAustralia).ix

There are other important tools that gowithchildabusepreventionstrategiesandoneof them isconstructionof integrateddatabases for identifying where servicesaremostneededandtotrackpatterns inchildabuseandrelatedfactors.Tasmaniaused to have one of themost importantsuch databases in Australia – it wasabolished under the State LiberalGovernmentin2015(butIthinkthatwasadecisionmadebyseniormanagementinthe bureaucracy; it was not a politicaldecision). It was called the DataWarehouse,hadbeen initiatedunder thepreviousgovernmentinMay2012.Itwaspossibly the most sophisticatedlongitudinal,multi-servicesdatabaseofitstype in Australia. Such a databasewouldhavebeenveryuseful formonitoring theeffectivenessofthepreventionstrategy.

There are also warning signs (red lights)that can be used to identify children atrisk – school suspensions (see schoolsuspensions reportx). In fact, in the USAschoolsuspensionsarereferredtoas´theschool-to-prison pipeline´. However, in

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Tasmania the Education Department hasrefused topublish suchdata sincea veryrevealing report in 2003. Once again,peoplereallydonotwanttoknow...

Postscript:Productivity Commission report justreleased:Australiaspends$1billioneveryyearonchildprotectionservices.

Tasmaniaspendsby far the leastamountonfamilysupportservices:

Cost per child receiving intensive family supportservices(2016-17).

Source:ReportonGovernmentServices,2017,Chapter16,page26,Fig.16.12.

HughDell:authorofANewEthic

HughDellwasborninLauncestonin1936,where he became ‘very class conscious’from an early age. But it was not until1961,whenhemoved toHobart toworkfor The Mercury newspaper as theirpolitical commentator that thisconsciousnessreallydeveloped,especiallyas he became involved with the LaborParty at that time. When the ALP wasdefeated in1969hebecameSecretarytothe Leaderof theOpposition,EricReece.Soon after that he decided to go touniversity and study political science andadministration, in both of which heexcelled.

The Labor Party returned to power in1972. Meanwhile, Hugh’s political visionwas beginning to develop, one based on‘participatory democracy’ and with theobjectiveofstoppingthe‘secretfavouringof small groups, business men to givethemaccesstostateresources(free)’.Butit was the proposal to mine PrecipitousBluff that reallymade Hugh’s blood boil,ashesays,‘tippedhimovertheedge’.

‘These swine in the Labor Party wereactually planning to mine it!’ – so Hughturned his attention to the conservationmovement, which was in its infancy atthatstage.HetriedtogettheTasmanianConservation Trust involved in the issue,‘butnowaywouldtheygetinvolved,theywantedtousetheold-boynetworkastheyalwayshaddone.’

Then, just before UTGwas formed Hughwent and saw Dick Jones. Hugh said toDick,‘Youaretheanswertomydreams…‘They(theLaborParty)woulddoanydirtydeal to stay in power, and that has beenthe (main) characteristic of Tasmanianpolitics right from the beginning,’ - andadded that Tasmanian politics has notchanged.

Hugh went home one afternoon andwroteANewEthic in justonesessiononvariouspiecesofcolouredpaper–‘Itwasthe culmination of what I had beenthinkingaboutforyears’.

HughgaveDickacopyofANewEthic,andDickgotbacktohimsometimelater.Dicksaid, ‘We’re going to publish this for theState election’. ‘I was amazed!’ wasHugh’sresponse!

Hugh explained a couple of aspects ofANew Ethic. First, ‘A tyranny of rationalitywasput in deliberately… youmustn’t let

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2012-13 to 2015-16 2016-17

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clever (and corrupt) people take oversocietyat theexpenseofeverybodyelse’.Secondly, ‘The onlyway to get people tochange is through educating them’ –whichisUTG’smainpurpose,asdeclaredin the last generalmeeting in September2017.

‘But only some people are ready forenlightenment … (with) the capacity tothink in abstract terms (and) not to seethemselvesasthecentreoftheuniverse’.

Finally, ‘The most important problem forthe world is over population – strippingtheworldofitsassetsandalltheareasforwildlife and for nature (which) is beingconstantly restricted’. ‘We have todevelop human consciousness … anddevelopthesuperego’.

A New Ethic has been updated andwillbeavailablesoonwithanewdesign.

[Abovematerialbasedonmultiple interviewsplus thatrecordedJanuary2017byKarenDedenczuk].

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YouthJustice:aJusticeReinvestmentapproach

GeoffHolloway

WhatisJusticeReinvestment?–Theoriginof the term has been attributed GeorgeSoros (2003). Justice reinvestment isbasically a public health model beingapplied to, in this case, youth justicesystems. It is about trying to preventyoungpeoplefromgettingintothejusticesystem, not simply reforming the systemoncetheyareinthere.

Justice reinvestment asks thequestion: is imprisonmentgoodvalueformoney?Thesimpleansweristhat

it is not. We are spending everincreasing amounts on imprisonmentwhileatthesametime,prisonersarenot being rehabilitated, recidivismrates are high and return to prisonrates are creating overcrowdedprisons.

It has been advocated in terms of theyouth detention system in Tasmaniabefore, in the Children’s Commissioner’sreport on the Ashley Youth Detentionsystem 2013 (the ‘Ashley Report’),following very contentious discussionsabout the terms of reference and accessto relevant data that eventually lead tothe resignation of the Commissioner,AileenAshford.Ittookfourmonthsalonejust to sort out the terms of reference.The final report was released mid 2013undertheActingChildren´sCommissioner,ElizabethDaly.

TheAshleyreportconcluded:A major Recommendation arising outof this Inquiry is that governmentconsiders the adoption of a JusticeReinvestmentFrameworkfortheyouthjustice system in Tasmania. Althoughdefinitions of ‘justice reinvestment’differintheircomplexity,ausefuloneisthe following: Justice Reinvestment isnow at the heart of debates aboutcriminal justice policy. It describes theprocess through which resourcescurrently spent on incarceratingoffenders in prison can be redirectedintocommunity-basedalternativesthattacklethecausesofcrimeatsource. Itis a form of preventative financing,throughwhichpolicymakersshiftfundsaway from dealing with problemsdownstream (policing, prisons) andtowards tackling them upstream(family breakdown, poverty, mentalillness, drug and alcohol dependence).

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A justice reinvestment framework isconsistent with a public health modelorapproachandwith the rights-basedapproach espoused in the UnitedNationsConventionontheRightsoftheChild and other relevant internationalinstruments.xi

WhiletheAshleyreportwasrestrictedtotheyouthdetentionsystem,theintentionwas to apply the principles to anintegrated youth justice system. I havereason to believe that the StateGovernment Department responsible foryouth justice (D.H.H.S.) completed areportonthewholeyouth justicesystemin 2015 that incorporated a justicereinvestment approach, but the reportwas never published and Right toInformation requests through theTasmanianGreens’officehave turnedupnothing.ThisreportwaspartoftheYouthJustice Continuum of Care Project, whichwas to include mapping of the servicesystem – in other words, addressing thecontinuumof youth justice offending andre-offending.

None of the political parties in Tasmaniaunderstand justice reinvestment, eventhoughjusticereinvestmenthasbeentheNationalGreenspolicysince2010xii.

However,notallisdependentonajusticereinvestment approach. Tasmania hassomeexcellentsystemsalreadyinplace;Iwillbrieflycommentonjustafewhere.

PoliceThere have been big changes in policingover recent years, perhaps typified bywhat Dr. Isabelle Bartkowiak-Théron(University of Tasmania) calls ´policingvulnerability´ xiii or shifting from simplysocial control agents to social welfareagents aswell. It provides policewith adual responsibility or awareness and has

positive effects. For example, all police(now) know that the vast majority ofyouthoffenderswillonlyevercommitonecrimeandthat,providedthatitisnottooserious, an informal or formal caution ismuchmoreeffectiveinthelongtermthanopening the door to the criminal justicesystem with its inevitable consequences.Police are also much more cognizant ofculturalandmentalhealthissuestoday.

YouthJusticecourtsThe first youth court (pilot) wasestablished in Tasmania in January 2011under Chief Magistrate Michael Hill(retired in 2015) who pioneered what iscalled ‘therapeutic jurisprudence’ withDeputy Magistrate Michael Daly. VictorStojcevski evaluated the ‘pilot’ in 2013xiv.He concluded that it had been veryeffective, but closer alignment of childprotection and youth justice data wouldbeverybeneficial(therehavebeenmajorissueshereforsometime,nottomentionEducation Department informationsharing).

SupportservicesThis is a ´mixed bag´, but particularservices stand out as making majorcontributions in supporting convictedyouth offenders in Tasmania. Theseservices include Save the Children (StateManager,LisaCuatt)andWhitelion(StateManager, Barbara Walters). Save theChildren received a national AustralianInstituteofCriminologyawardin2015forits success in helping young people asthey transition from detention andbreaking the cycle of offending inTasmania. One of the lessons from Savethe Children is the importance ofbeginningtheprocessofevaluationofanyprogram from the beginning of theprogram, not afterwards (which is whattypically happens in the bureaucracy).

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Whitelion has also been a great successacrossAustralia.

JusticeReinvestmentThere are certain principles that underliejusticereinvestment.Unfortunately,noneof these principles are being applied indecision-making concerning thecontinuing maintenance of Ashley YouthDetention Centre. As one very highlyregarded University of Tasmaniacriminologisttoldme,‘TheonlywaytofixAshleyistoburnittotheground!’

The key justice reinvestment principlesareasfollows:1.Earlyidentification,interventionandpreventionare the most effective way of reducing youthoffending.2. Children and young people will be divertedaway from the youth justice system whereverpossible with custody being used only as a lastresortandfortheshortestpossibletime.3. The developmental needs and risk factorsassociatedwith youthoffendingwill be identifiedand matched with appropriate programs andservices.4. Children and young people will be heard andtheir views taken into account in allmatters thataffectthem.5.Familieswillbesupportedandengagedtohelpthem meet the developmental needs of childrenandyoungpeople.6. Community safety will be enhanced by aneffectiveyouthjusticesystemthatresultsinbetteroutcomes for vulnerable or at-risk children andyoungpeople.7. Programs and services will be evidence-basedand regularly evaluated to ensure effectivenessandefficacy.

MrMickGooda,AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderSocialJusticeCommissioner,summarises:

I believe that Justice Reinvestmentalso provides opportunities forcommunities to take back somecontrol. If it is to work properly itmeanslookingatoptionsfordiversionfrom prison but more importantly, it

means looking at the measures andstrategies thatwill prevent offendingbehaviour in the first place. Thecommunity has to be involved andcommitted to not only taking someownership of the problem but alsosome ownership of the solutions... Ithinkweneedtochangethenarrativefrom one of punishment to one ofcommunity safety. Fundingpeople togo to prisonmightmake people feelsafer, but a far betterwaywould betostoptheoffendinginthefirstplace,and Justice Reinvestment providesthatopportunity.xv

As pointed out his Social Justice Report2009, Justice Reinvestment involves [a]holistic analysis of the criminal justicesystem is a key feature of the justicereinvestmentmethodology. Considerationis given to policing, judicial systems,probation and parole, preventionprograms, community supervision anddiversion options as well as thegeographicmapping.Justice mapping provides the means toidentifywhereoffendersarecomingfrom(and returning to) by the collection,analysis and mapping of data aboutcrimes, convictions and imprisonment,and identifies locationsofhigh incidence,whichmaybecomethefocusofincreasedpolicing. Justice mapping allows policymakers to design and implementprograms to reduce crime, havingidentified those areas of greatestdisadvantage and gaps in availableservices–factorsunderlyingthecausesofcrimeinthesecommunities.xvi

As can be seen from the followingdiagram,thenumberofyouthoffendersisactually quite small relative to the total

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population of young people aged 10-17years – and this number and proportionhasbeendecliningoverthepastdecade. Diagram 1: The ´funnel´ of youth offenders in Tasmania aged 10 to 17 years, 2015-16xvii

The good news is that youth offendinghas dropped by 55% in Tasmania overthepasttenyears!xviii~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contactinformation:Forfurtherinformationpleasecontact:GeoffHolloway(Co-convenorUTG)Geoffsarmiento1@gmail.com

Facebooksites:https://www.facebook.com/groups/112926085386109/(generalsite)https://www.facebook.com/groups/1154609787956205/(UTGWildernessIntegrity,Tourism&Sustainability)https://www.facebook.com/groups/740273822782089/(UTGEnergy&ClimateChange)UTGalsohastwoemail-basedsystemsfornon-Facebookusers.EditorialCommitteeGeoffHolllowayKevinKiernanAnneMcConnellRolfShankleyKeithAntonysenDebbieQuarmbyLynBarclayCoverphoto:DickJones,providedbyPatsyJonesContributor:NarelleWatson

Issue#2,February2018,ISSN2208-9500(online)

UTGfullysupportstheUnitedNationsConventionontheRightsoftheChild(UNCROC)anditsassociatedProtocols.UTGisasignatory/memberofTheRightsofNaturehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/therightsofnature/about/andsupportstheconceptoftheCircularEconomyhttps://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy. iUnallocatedcasesarethosenotificationsofchildabuseorneglectthathavebeenassessedasrequiringinvestigationandbuthavenotinfactbeeninvestigated.iiInvertingthepyramid.Enhancingsystemsforprotectingchildren,ARACY/AllenConsultingGroup.2009iiihttp://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/214356/Redesign_of_Child_Protection_Services.pdfivhttps://www.aracy.org.au/the-nest-in-action/the-common-approachvhttp://www.jacquiepetrusma.com.au/?m=20160318viprivatediscussionswithauthorsofrelevantreportsviihttps://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/defining-public-health-model-child-welfare-services-contextviiihttp://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/220696/0032_Strong_Families_Safe_Kids_-_Implementation_v9_final.pdfpage12 ixhttps://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/sites/g/files/net691/f/layton_child_protection_review.pdfxhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/270453157_Student_Suspensions_A_Research_Review?_iepl%5BviewId%5D=BsK7Mt7WH3npKMSVhTKdz7nL&_iepl%5BprofilePublicationItemVariant%5D=default&_iepl%5Bcontexts%5D%5B0%5D=prfpi&_iepl%5BtargetEntityId%5D=PB%3A270453157&_iepl%5BinteractionType%5D=publicationTitlexihttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/270453159_ALTERNATIVES_TO_SECURE_YOUTH_DETENTION_IN_TASMANIA_ALTERNATIVES_TO_SECURE_YOUTH_DETENTION_IN_TASMANIAxii-GreensSenatorPennyWrightchairedtheSenateInquiryintoJusticeReinvestment,whichreportedin2013–anunenviabletaskgiventheLiberalnastiesonthatCommittee.https://greensmps.org.au/articles/greens-launch-justice-reinvestment-initiativexiii Policingvulnerability,I.Bartkowiak-Théron&N.L.Asquith(Eds.),TheFederationPress,2012xivhttp://www.magistratescourt.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/388585/Youth_Justice_Pilot_-_Evaluation_Report.pdf xvCitedinUnitingChurchinWesternAustralia,Submission65,p.8,ValueofajusticereinvestmentapproachtocriminaljusticeinAustralia,20June2013SenateLegalandConstitutionalAffairsCommitteexviSenateInquiryintoJusticeReinvestment,2013xvii ABS,RecordedCrime,Offenders2015-16;AIHWYouthJusticeinAustralia2015-16xviiihttp://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-10/tasmanian-youth-crime-rate-down-abs/8258582

Allchildrenandyoungpeopleaged10-17inTasmania=50,181

1,226uniqueoffenderswereproceededagainstbypolice

232wereplacedundercommunitybasedsupervision

33weresentencedtodetenzon