Youth justice fact sheet no. 47
Types of community-based youth justice supervision: 2013–14
Types of community-based youth justice supervision:
2013–14
This fact sheet outlines the types of community-based supervision that young people experienced in Australia in 2013–14.
Young people may be supervised under one or more of the following types of orders:
• unsentenced orders (while awaiting the outcome of a court matter or sentencing)—such as supervised or conditional bail
• sentenced orders (after being proven guilty in court)—such as probation and similar orders, suspended detention and parole or supervised release.
Young people may be supervised under multiple orders of different types at the same time, and parole or supervised release orders may be interrupted by time spent in detention. Orders may be completed, or can end for other reasons, including that the young person breached the conditions of the order, or that the order was varied or cancelled.
For more information about types of youth justice supervision, see
<http://www.aihw.gov.au/youth-justice/services-and-outcomes/>.
In 2013–14, there were 8,781 young people under community-based supervision during the year, with 21,065 community-based supervision orders in total, equating to 2.4 orders per young person on average (Western Australia and the Northern Territory are not included in this fact sheet as data were not available; see Box 1) (Table S62).
Unsentenced community-based supervision
Unsentenced community–based supervision orders include supervised bail (also known as conditional bail) and other orders such as home detention bail. Under supervised or conditional bail orders, the young person is released into the community while awaiting the outcome of their court action. These types of orders may include conditions such as supervision, curfew, or a monetary bond. Information about unsupervised bail is not within the scope of the Juvenile Justice National Minimum Data Set (JJ NMDS).
In 2013–14, about 1 in 10 young people under community-based supervision (11%) were under unsentenced orders on an average day (Table S62). One-quarter (25%) were under these types of orders at some point during the year. The difference in the proportion on an average day and during the year reflects the relatively short duration of unsentenced orders compared with sentenced orders.
On an average day, the proportion of young people under community-based supervision who were unsentenced varied among states and territories for which data were available, ranging from 4% in Tasmania to 27% in the Australian Capital Territory (Figure 1).
The proportion of unsentenced community-based orders that were completed during the year ranged from 53% in Queensland to 99% in Victoria (excluding Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory) (Table S70). Most orders that were completed lasted less than 3 months, with the proportion completed in less than 3 months ranging from 48% in Queensland to 89% in Tasmania.
Types of community-based youth justice supervision: 2013–14 2
Sentenced community-based supervision
Probation and similar orders
Probation and similar orders involve supervision by a youth justice agency for a specified length of time; regular reporting to the agency and involvement in treatment programs are often required.
On an average day in 2013–14, almost 4 in 5 young people supervised in the community (78%) were serving a probation (or similar) order (Figure 1). This was the most common type of community-based supervision in all states and territories for which data were available, ranging from 27% in South Australia to 92% in Queensland.
Sentenced community-based supervision
Probation and similar orders
Probation and similar orders involve supervision by a youth justice agency for a specified length of time; regular reporting to the agency and involvement in treatment programs are often required.
On an average day in 2013–14, almost 4 in 5 young people supervised in the community (78%) were serving a probation (or similar) order (Figure 1). This was the most common type of community-based supervision in all states and territories for which data were available, ranging from 27% in South Australia to 92% in Queensland.
Notes
1. Western Australia and the Northern Territory did not supply standard data for inclusion in the Juvenile Justice National Minimum Data Set (JJ NMDS) for 2013–14 and are therefore not included in this figure.
2. Young people may have been under supervision in relation to multiple types of orders on the same day.
3. Excludes young people under ‘other’ types of orders.
4. In South Australia, the remaining proportions were supervised under a variety of order types.
Source: Table S62.
Figure 1: Young people under community-based supervision on an average day, by type of supervision, states and territories, 2013–14 (per cent)
In 2013–14, the proportion of probation orders that ended because they were completed ranged from 63% in New South Wales to 93% in Victoria (Table S71). Most probation (and similar) orders that were completed lasted for less than 12 months.
The proportion of breached probation orders across states and territories ranged from 6% in Tasmania to 27% in New South Wales (Table S72).
Suspended detention
Under a suspended detention order, the young person remains in the community, as long as they do not breach conditions of the order or re-offend within a specified time period. If the order is breached, they may be placed in detention.
Unsentenced Probation and similar
Suspended detention Parole or supervised release
0 20 40 60 80 100
NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust excl
WA & NT Per cent
States and territories Notes
1. Western Australia and the Northern Territory did not supply standard data for inclusion in the Juvenile Justice National Minimum Data Set (JJ NMDS) for 2013–14 and are therefore not included in this figure.
2. Young people may have been under supervision in relation to multiple types of orders on the same day.
3. Excludes young people under ‘other’ types of orders.
4. In South Australia, the remaining proportions were supervised under a variety of order types.
Source: Table S62.
Figure 1: Young people under community-based supervision on an average day, by type of supervision, states and territories, 2013–14 (per cent)
In 2013–14, the proportion of probation orders that ended because they were completed ranged from 63% in
New South Wales to 93% in Victoria (Table S71). Most probation (and similar) orders that were completed lasted for less than 12 months.
The proportion of breached probation orders across states and territories ranged from 6% in Tasmania to 27% in New South Wales (Table S72).
Suspended detention
Under a suspended detention order, the young person remains in the community, as long as they do not breach conditions of the order or re-offend within a specified time period. If the order is breached, they may be placed in detention.
About 6% of young people in community-based supervision on an average day in 2013–14 were serving a suspended detention order (Figure 1). Tasmania (36%) had the highest and Queensland (5%) the lowest proportions of young people under a suspended detention order.
The proportion of suspended detention orders that ended in 2013–14 due to completion ranged from 61% in Queensland to 96% in South Australia (excluding Victoria, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory) (Table S73).
Types of community-based youth justice supervision: 2013–14 3 Parole or supervised release
Parole or supervised release refers to supervision within the community following a period of detention.
About 8% of young people under community-based supervision on an average day in 2013–14 were on parole or supervised release (Table S62). More than 4 in 5 orders of parole or supervised release (83%) were made in New South Wales and Victoria collectively.
Box 1: Youth justice supervision fact sheets
This is one of a series of fact sheets on youth justice supervision in 2013–14 published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). These fact sheets can be downloaded free of charge from the AIHW website at
<http://www.aihw.gov.au/youth-justice/fact-sheets>.
The fact sheets form part of the Youth justice in Australia 2013–14 release, which also includes a bulletin, supplementary tables and web pages released in multiple stages throughout the year. (See <http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/
youth-justice>.)
Western Australia and the Northern Territory did not supply standard data for 2013–14 but non-standard data from these two jurisdictions are included where possible.
The supplementary data tables (those with a prefix of S) referred to in this fact sheet accompany the bulletin Youth justice in Australia 2013–14, and can be downloaded from <http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/
?id=60129550638&tab=3>.
For more information about young people under youth justice supervision, see <http://www.aihw.gov.au/youth-justice>.
Box 2: Technical notes
1. Information about young people under youth justice supervision in this fact sheet is based on data from the Juvenile Justice National Minimum Data Set (JJ NMDS). This data collection contains information about all young people who were supervised by state and territory youth justice agencies in Australia, both in the community and in detention.
2. This fact sheet uses an ‘average day’ measure to illustrate the number of young people under supervision. The average day measure reflects the number of young people under supervision on a typical day during the year, and gives an indication of the average number of young people supported by the supervision system at any one time.
It is a summary measure that reflects both the number of young people supervised and the amount of time they spent under supervision.
Further technical and data quality information, including definitions of key terms in this fact sheet, is available from
<http://www.aihw.gov.au/youth-justice/data-quality/>.
© Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2015
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Suggested citation
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2015. Youth justice fact sheet no. 47. Types of community-based youth justice supervision: 2013–14.
Cat. no. JUV 66. Canberra: AIHW.
ISBN 978-1-74249-772-3 (PDF) ISSN 2202-1841
Any enquiries about copyright and/or this fact sheet should be directed to the Head of the Digital and Media Communications Unit, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, GPO Box 570, Canberra ACT 2601, Tel: (02) 6244 1000, Email: <[email protected]>.
