Tuesday, 3 February 2026

 Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (20:32): Victoria’s youth justice system is in a complete mess, and the new Productivity Commission data makes that abundantly clear. Under Labor Victoria now spends $7304 per day to detain a single youth offender. That is nearly three times the cost in New South Wales and double the national average. Yet despite this extraordinary spending, Victoria’s outcomes are worse than any other state in the nation. More than four out of five offenders who spend at least one day of their sentence in a youth justice centre will re-offend within 12 months. In New South Wales fewer than two out of five youth offenders return. This highlights that youth offending in Victoria is not about being rehabilitated but that these children are entering the revolving door of crime and youth justice. Conditions inside the justice detention centres are also deteriorating. Victoria’s youth detention assault rate per custody night is now 59 per cent higher than that of New South Wales. Not only are these environments unsafe and ineffective, but the government is charging the taxpayer more than any other state to deliver them. Labor has also scaled back its diversion programs – proven programs that prevent reoffending and help children to get out of these situations. This comes as the youth crime crisis continues to rise, and Victorians are paying more and getting less.