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NSW Youth Custody Climbs 34% as Courts Tighten Bail Decisions

Indigenous children account for nearly 60 per cent of those detained in youth custodial centres, highlighting conflicts with Closing the Gap targets.

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Overview

  • June data show 234 children held in NSW youth detention, a 34 per cent rise since last year that reverses a long-term downward trend.
  • Over 70 per cent of detainees are on remand awaiting trial, with only 66 young people serving post-sentence custody.
  • New bail laws bar minors charged with repeat break-ins, motor vehicle theft or domestic violence from release, while magistrates apply stricter criteria beyond those measures.
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics figures confirm NSW has the highest juvenile detention numbers nationally, contrasting with Victoria’s low rates and the Northern Territory’s highest per-capita rates.
  • NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson and other advocates urge redirecting funds from custodial settings into diversion programs and social services to reduce reoffending.