Locking up children does not make communitiessafer

In Australia, children are being routinely subjected to seriously harmful practices including solitary confinement, spit hoods and detention in adult watch houses. These practices cause severe physical and psychological damage and, in some cases, meet the threshold of torture under international law.

This harm comes at an extreme cost.

Australia spends more than $1 billion each year locking up children, with detention costing well over $1 million per child per year in some jurisdictions. These funds are poured into cages and control instead of housing, healthcare, disability support and community-led programs that are proven to prevent harm and keep children safe.

Locking up children does not make communities safer. It entrenches trauma, increases reoffending and violates Australia’s obligations to protect children’s rights, dignity and wellbeing. This is not an inevitable crisis. It is the result long-standing government failures – but there is a better way forward.

Why Amnesty International Australia?

We have the independence, reach and credibility to take on this crisis. We are not reliant on government funding and can speak out without fear or compromise.  

Our Indigenous Rights team works closely with communities and Parliament to ensure lived experience is centred. We have a proven track record of mobilising supporters and sustaining long-term Indigenous justice campaigns, and we use international human rights law not as theory, but as a tool for accountability. 

Punitive politics

Youth justice policy is being driven by fear-based rhetoric rather than evidence. ‘Tough on crime’ approaches prioritise punishment over prevention despite decades of research showing they increase reoffending and harm.  

Lack of accountability

There is a profound power imbalance in the youth justice system. Children are scrutinised and punished while institutions and individuals responsible for abuse face little consequence. Oversight mechanisms are weak and fragmented across states.

Systemic racism

Indigenous children are over-policed, criminalised earlier and detained more often. This over-representation is not accidental. It reflects the ongoing impact of colonisation, discrimination and chronic underinvestment in Indigenous-led solutions.

Public invisibility

When abuse happens behind closed doors, it is easier for governments to deny, minimise or delay action. Without sustained public pressure, meaningful reform does not occur.