Key information
- Reform of the youth justice system focuses on prioritising the:
- rights of children and young people
- provision of cultural safety
- underlying drivers of offending and
- keeping communities safe.
- Sign up for quarterly updates on the youth justice reform work by emailing yjreform@decyp.tas.gov.au with the subject ‘Newsletter’.
Project overview
The youth justice system is being reformed through a comprehensive, integrated and therapeutic approach. The system will prioritise the rights of children and young people; provide cultural safety; address the underlying drivers of offending and keep communities safe.
To support this work, the Youth Justice Blueprint 2024-2034 (PDF,1MB) (Youth Justice Blueprint) was developed.
In July 2024, the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC) established a Youth Justice Reform Taskforce (YJR Taskforce). This was a multi-agency group dedicated to working on the Youth Justice Blueprint, related Action Plans and recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings. Find out more about the YJR Taskforce in the Youth Justice Reform Taskforce Action Plan 2024 – 2025 (PDF,513KB) and the Youth Justice Reform Taskforce Action Plan 2024 – 2025 Progress Report (PDF, 742KB).
After 12 months, the reform effort transitioned to Department for Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) in July 2025, to continue this work through the Youth Justice Reform (YJR) team.
The YJR team is working alongside children and young people, their families, Aboriginal leaders, frontline workers and community organisations to make Tasmania’s youth justice system safer, more therapeutic and more effective.
Key reform work
A number of projects are currently underway that support youth justice reform.
These include the:
- Youth Justice Model of Care
- Youth Justice Diversionary Services Framework
- Tasmanian Aboriginal Youth Justice Strategy
- Youth Justice Act Review
Newsletter communications
A newsletter has been developed to provide updates on youth justice reform in Tasmania. These newsletters will be loaded here and circulated on a quarterly basis by email.