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Update: 26/08/2024
Territorians headed to the polls on Saturday 24 August, and voted strongly in favour of The Country Liberal Party (CLP). 

Chief Minister-elect Lia Finocchiaro has already promised to lower the age of criminal responsibility to just 10 years old, and to reintroduce the previously outlawed use of spit hoods on children — a cruel practice that has been condemned as torture by the United Nations. Amnesty International has warned that this ‘tough on youth crime’ approach must not breach human rights law. These dangerous policies will only cause more harm to vulnerable children and will not make our communities safer. 

Amnesty International is calling on the CLP to reverse its decision to lower the age of criminal responsibility and to commit to adhering to human rights law in its youth justice policies. It is unconscionable that the newly elected government has moved to reintroduce a practice of torture against children as their first order of business, 

Sign our petition, and tell the CLP that kids don’t belong in prison cells.

 

Sign the Petition

  Our Petition
 
 

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro
Email: electorate.spillett@nt.gov.au

To the Government of the Northern Territory:

Right now kids are being locked up in prisons that are far too young. Young kids don’t belong in prison cells.

Putting kids in prison leads to compounding trauma and disadvantage, it fractures families and communities and removes children from their culture. 

Putting kids in jail cells does not change their behaviour or make our communities safer, instead it pushes them down a path that often leads to adult prison.

There is an overwhelming amount of medical and psychological evidence that shows us children’s brains are still developing, especially the parts that regulate judgement, decision-making and impulse control. This means that kids cannot foresee the consequences of any action and cannot fully understand the criminal nature of their behaviour. Whether sentenced or unsentenced, children can not navigate the full weight of their actions and do not belong in prison.

I’m calling on you to reduce the number of Indigenous children incarcerated and ensure their ongoing protection by raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14, in line with international human rights standards.  

It is also critical for you to fund Indigenous led diversion programs that address the root causes of trauma and disadvantage, and uphold the principles of self-determination. These programs will cost less than putting kids in jail cells and keep our communities safer in the long run.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]