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Youth Justice


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Archer Must Commit to Raising the Age

It's time for the Attorney-General to commit to raising the age of criminal responsibility

Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP  |  Media Release  |  14 Jul 2023


Parliament House, Tasmania

Estimates Reply – Jaensch

We asked about the number of stand downs in relation to historical or contemporary child sex abuse allegations and ED5 investigations.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  22 Jun 2023


Police Officers in High Visibility Vests

Education, Children and Young People – Youth Justice

There was a confronting story in the Mercury newspaper on 17 May under the headline 'Teen crime crackdown'.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  7 Jun 2023


Police Officers in High Visibility Vests

Police, Fire and Emergency Management – Responses to Youth Crime

The proportion of youth offenders who have been subject to non-court actions has dropped from 54 per cent to 43 per cent.

Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  8 Jun 2023


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Inquiry into Tasmanian Adult Imprisonment and Youth Detention Matters

Submission to the Legislative Council Inquiry into Tasmanian Adult Imprisonment and Youth Detention Matters.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Submission  |  31 Mar 2023


Four Young People Sitting on Ledge

No child should spend Christmas in prison, Greens call for urgent release of child prisoners from Ashley

The Greens are calling for children imprisoned at Ashley Youth Detention Centre to be allowed wherever possible to spend Christmas at home with their families

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  19 Dec 2022


Lonely Child

UN Committee Recommendations Must Be Urgently Addressed

The UN Committee against Torture’s concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of Australia provides substantive recommendations for Tasmania.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  28 Nov 2022


Prison, Barbed-Wire Fence

Draft Youth Justice Blueprint a Good Plan, But no Immediate Solution

While the draft plan represents a major shift for youth justice and lays out the steps forward, it doesn’t solve Tasmania’s current youth justice failings.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  22 Nov 2022


Lonely Child

AYDC Lockdowns Demand Immediate Action from Premier Rockliff

Revelations that children at Ashley Youth Detention Centre are once again facing rolling lockdowns of 23 hours a day are disturbing and distressing.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  24 Oct 2022


Lonely Child

Liberals Fail to Reassure Tasmanians on Ashley Closure

The Rockliff Government, particularly Minister Roger Jaensch, have been dragging their collective heels on closing the Ashley Youth Detention Centre for a year.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  23 Aug 2022


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Youth Justice Amendment (Searches in Custody) Bill 2022

How we deal with kids when they come into the system can make all the difference to whether or not we break the cycle for those young people.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  4 May 2022


Child, Shadow

Archer Must Rethink Age of Criminal Responsibility

The Attorney-General’s decision to only raise the age to 12, instead of 14, is indefensible.

Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP  |  Media Release  |  16 Nov 2021


Prison, Barbed-Wire Fence

Greens Celebrate Ashley Youth Detention Centre Closure

On behalf of the Greens and the children of lutruwita/Tasmania, I thank Peter Gutwein for making the long-needed decision to close Ashley Youth Detention Centre

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  9 Sep 2021


Prison, Barbed-Wire Fence

Roger Jaensch: Hapless or Heartless?

In Question Time today, we asked the Minister for Human Services, about two very serious allegations, relating to Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  25 Mar 2021


Prison, Barbed-Wire Fence

Custodial Inspector’s Report Confirms Ashley Must Close

Another Custodial Inspector report, another swathe of critical failures at Ashley Youth Detention Centre (AYCD) have been exposed. 

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  4 Mar 2021


Magistrates Court

Estimates Reply – Attorney-General Archer

It is a deeply concerning allegation that children are going to night courts and appearing before a justice of the peace or a bench justice and a prosecutor.

Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  2 Dec 2020


Magistrates Court

Attorney-General and Justice – Ashley Youth Detention Centre

A disproportionate number of young people are sent to remand at Ashley Youth Detention Centre outside the normal operating hours of the Magistrates Court.

Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  25 Nov 2020


Prison, Barbed-Wire Fence

Ashley Youth Detention Centre - Calls for Closure

The Government ignored the advice in the independent expert Noetic report to close Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  19 Nov 2020


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Ashley Youth Detention Centre - Allegations Against Senior Staff Member

We have information that a senior staff member at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre has recently been stood down.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  19 Nov 2020


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Elise Archer Should Know Prison is No Place for a Child

Tasmania’s Attorney General, Elise Archer, chaired a meeting of her federal, state and territory counterparts yesterday which again failed Australian children.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  28 Jul 2020


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Government Must Act Urgently on Youth Strip Searches

Information obtained by the Examiner newspaper shows invasive strip searches of children and young people are continuing at high levels.

Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP  |  Media Release  |  30 Jun 2020


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Youth Justice System

Cassy discusses the Minister's responsibility for a redacted Youth Custodial Services report in the adjournment.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  29 Oct 2019


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Ashley Youth Detention Centre Report Redactions

Cassy O'Connor questions the Minister for Human Services over redactions in a youth custodial justice report.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Parliamentary Activity  |  29 Oct 2019


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Liberals' Clumsy Attempts to Cover Up Ashley Scandal

The Liberals have attempted, and failed, to redact some of the shameful results of an independent inspection of Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  17 Oct 2019


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Commissioner for Children's Advice on Strip Searches

We welcome the Commissioner for Children and Young People’s advice to government on strip searches of children and young people.

Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP  |  Media Release  |  7 May 2019


Four Young People Sitting on Ledge

Youth At Risk Strategy Undermined by 'Tough on Crime' Liberals

The Tasmanian Greens welcome the belated release of the government's Youth at Risk Strategy.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  7 Jun 2017


Justice, Scales and Gavel

Tasmanian Youth Justice Highest Rates of Assault and Self Harm

Today’s ROGs chapter on youth justice exposes a harsh approach to youth justice in Tasmania and reinforces the need to close Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  24 Jan 2017


Four Young People Sitting on Ledge

Greens Release Costed Plan to Close Ashley

The evidence is clear that Ashley represents a failed model for youth justice.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  10 Sep 2016


Four Young People Sitting on Ledge

Ashley Review Builds Case for Closure

The Independent Review of Ashley Youth Detention Centre makes it clear the model for dealing with young offenders in Tasmania has failed.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  1 Sep 2016


Four Young People Sitting on Ledge

Ashley Youth Detention Centre

The Greens recognise that the Minister and her agency have taken this matter very seriously.

Cassy O'Connor MP  |  Media Release  |  19 Aug 2016