Kids don’t belong in prison. This election the Northern Territory needs to start listening to first nations voices and raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14.
On the 24th of August, Territorians will vote to elect their next government. Some political parties and candidates are choosing to use young kids as political footballs in the election debate, instead of addressing the root causes of youth crime.
Amnesty International is calling on candidates for election in the NT to commit to raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14, stop reverting to carceral and colonial responses to youth crime, and fund Indigenous led diversion programs that centres culture and community.
UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE
ABOUT RAISING THE AGE
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on countries to raise the age to at least 14 years old. China, Russia, Germany, Spain, Sierra Leone, Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Rwanda have taken this step and we must do the same for Australian kids. The Northern Territory is at risk of changing the age of criminal responsibility from twelve to ten years old.
There is an overwhelming amount of medical and psychological evidence that shows us children’s brains are still developing, especially the parts that regulate judgement, decision-making and impulse control. This means that kids cannot foresee the consequences of any action and cannot fully understand the criminal nature of their behaviour. Whether sentenced or unsentenced, children can not navigate the full weight of their actions and do not belong in prison.
Putting kids in prison leads to compounding trauma and disadvantage, it fractures families and communities and removes children from their culture. The root causes of this issue include a complete lack of understanding of the realities of colonisation and its effects, leading to a historical and continuing lack of centering First Nations voices and learning, which has resulted in a lack of self-determination.
ABOUT AMNESTY’S CAMPAIGN
Amnesty International Australia is campaigning in the Territory to reduce the number of Indigenous children incarcerated and ensure their ongoing protection by raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14, in line with international human rights standards.
In order to have a human rights impact, we need Amnesty members and supporters in the NT to mobilise and demonstrate to political candidates that they don’t want to see kids as political footballs in the election debate.
We are asking the future government of the Northern Territory to fund culturally-appropriate alternatives to incarceration that centre First Nations voices, address the root causes of trauma and disadvantage, and uphold the principles of self-determination.
RESOURCES
Read 📖
Amnesty’s NT 2024 Election Conversations guide
How to have a persuasive conversation guide
Explainer: Why we need to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility
Alternatives to Prison – Raise the Age Coalition
Pass the Message Stick – First Nations Messaging Guide
Watch 📺
Recording of our activist webinar! 08/08/2024
Passcode: sADf=K07
Content Warning : Some of these resources include content that may distress some viewers.
The Point – Who Cares About Alice?
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Share our 2024 NT election Guide!
^Download a printable version of our scorecard here!
RSVP to our Rally on August 16th
Sign and share petition the petition – NT Kids don’t belong in Prison Cells
^Download a printable version here
RSVP to help with a market stall, letterboxing or Flyering
If joining us for flyering at a voting station, there are some electoral commission rules you should be across.
