Juvenile justice centre is a term adopted in the 1990s to describe institutions providing custodial accommodation for remanded or sentenced young people.
In the case of the ACT the Children's Services Ordinance 1986 took a significant step in separating 'children in need of care' from 'juvenile offenders.'
Existing antiquated procedures which result in children in need of care being charged with a criminal offence are abolished.(taken from the Children's Services Ordinance 1986 Explanatory Memorandum, www.legislation.act.gov.au)
This change also meant that approaches and attitudes towards 'children in need of care' began to evolve separately to those applied to 'juvenile offenders' despite the fact that they were often the same children and young people passing between the two systems.
An example of this division can be found in the Children and Young People ACT 1999 which applies the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle but does not apply the principle to the 'disposition of young offenders.'
The Bimberi Youth Justice Centre, the ACT's juvenile justice facility, was opened in 2008 to replace Quamby Youth Detention Centre.
Prepared by: Lydia Connell
Created: 28 October 2011, Last modified: 20 February 2015