Is Australia’s prison system really working? According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, figures from a year ago show more than 800 young offenders aged between 14 and 17 have spent a night in lockup.

At such a critical time in a young person’s development and self-discovery, how effective is juvenile detention and how can we directly target the root cause of the problem?

Here on The Wire, we take a deeper look at costs to both the individual and society, and explore alternative models of justice.  We also hear from a prison reform advocate about his time inside.

Sound FX: Pixabay

Image: Pexels: Ron Lach

Produced By: Emma Wotzke

Featured In Story: Dr Lukas Carey – Manager for Reintegration for OutCare and university academic, lived experience of incarceration , Joseph Te Puni-Fromont – Founder of Esuarve, Robert Tickner – Justice Reform Initiative Chairman , Hannah March – SA’s Justice Reform Initiative Advocacy and Campaign Manager, and

First aired on The Wire, Monday 5 August 2024