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Rethinking Justice

19 November 2025 Hits:19

Youth crime and government responses have been in the headlines for some time. This week, I’ve invited guest blogger Amelia Pickering to share her thoughts on the matter. Amelia has been a member of Bayside Church for 26 years and is an active part of our teaching team. She is also the CEO of Prison Network. 

Last week, Victoria announced plans to introduce adult sentences for children as young as 14, changing the maximum penalty for some crimes from three years to life in prison. This decision has left many of us deeply unsettled, grappling with the question of how we balance community safety with justice, restoration, and rehabilitation. While I don’t claim to have all the answers, my time working in this sector has given me some insights that I hope might contribute to the conversation.

First, let’s acknowledge the complexity of this issue. There are victims who have been profoundly impacted, and nothing in this commentary is intended to diminish the tragedies unfolding across our state.

The Illusion of Harsher Penalties

However, the government’s chosen response, to lock ‘em up’ and throw away the key, feels narrow, disproportionate, and politically motivated. It also stands in stark contrast to our common belief that redemption is possible and raises profound questions about what justice truly means.

At first glance, harsher penalties might seem like a solution, a reassurance that serious crimes will be met with serious consequences. But when we look closer, the picture becomes far more complex. What does it mean for a society to punish children as adults? What does this say about our commitment to rehabilitation, prevention, and the possibility of change?

Understanding the Roots of Youth Offending

Children who come before the courts are rarely there because of a single bad decision. Their stories often begin long before the offence, with trauma, poverty, family violence, and systemic failures that shape their lives. Many have experienced homelessness, removal from family, or have lived in out-of-home care. Some struggle with disabilities or mental health challenges. Others have been drawn into harmful online influences. These are not excuses; they are realities that shape behaviour and capacity for change.

What Research Tells Us About Harsh Sentences

Research consistently shows that treating children as adults in the justice system does not make communities safer. Harsh sentences do not deter youth offending. In fact, they increase the likelihood of reoffending by pushing young people deeper into the criminal justice system and exposing them to environments that compound trauma. Australian and international research consistently shows that longer custodial sentences for young people will increase, rather than reduce, recidivism. When we ignore what we know about adolescent development, that young people are still forming judgment, impulse control, and identity, we risk creating lifelong harm rather than reducing it.

While ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric might look good in a media release and further political self-interest, those of us working in the sector know that punitive, short-term measures don’t break cycles of offending; they deepen them. Prioritising punishment over prevention at the expense of children’s futures signals a deeply troubling shift away from evidence, compassion, and human rights.

Pathways to Real Transformation

At Prison Network, we see every day that real transformation doesn’t come from longer or harsher sentences. It comes from connection. It comes from hope. It comes when someone believes in a person’s potential and offers opportunities to learn and grow. To choose a different path, one that leads away from crime rather than deeper into it. When those supports are in place, change becomes possible.

Community-led programs, culturally safe supports, and trauma-informed interventions work. They keep children connected to school, family, and culture, and they reduce reoffending. These approaches are not theoretical. They have been implemented successfully in other jurisdictions around the world. Countries like Finland and Germany have dramatically reduced youth crime through rehabilitation and education rather than incarceration. Yes, these models can be harder to implement and may not feel like an instant fix, but the evidence is clear: they save money, and they create safer communities.

A Theological Perspective

For those of us who hold a theological perspective, these questions cut even deeper. What is justice? Micah’s call to ‘act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly’ reminds us that justice and mercy are not opposing forces but partners in healing. Biblical justice is rooted in God’s love and the truth that every person bears His image. It calls us to protect the vulnerable, treat others fairly, and work for restoration, mending what is broken so communities can flourish.

Jesus consistently responded to brokenness with grace and transformation, not condemnation. If we want our systems to truly reflect these values, they need to lean toward redemption rather than punishment. That means creating pathways for growth and second chances; recognising that change is possible when people are supported, not just penalised. It’s about building responses that heal, not harden, and ensuring that justice is not only about accountability but also about restoration.

Balancing Accountability with Compassion

None of this denies the seriousness of crime or the pain experienced by victims. Accountability matters. Safety matters. But if our goal is a safer, more just society, then evidence and experience point us toward prevention, support, and rehabilitation, not harsher sentences for children. These proposed reforms risk moving us away from compassion and evidence toward fear-driven responses that entrench cycles of harm.

Perhaps the real question isn’t how we punish more harshly, but how we build systems that heal, systems that reflect the best of our humanity. What would it look like for each of us to play a part in that work? Our communities deserve solutions that truly make a difference, not just ‘tough on crime’ policies that sound strong but fail to deliver real safety. If we want to see communities thrive, we need to ask: What brings lasting change? What restores hope? And how can we, together, help make that possible?

Amelia Pickering, CEO, Prison Network

Prison Network is a non-profit organisation that has been providing support to women in Victorian prisons and their families for 80 years. Prison Network journeys with women in and beyond prison, providing the support and courage they need to navigate positive pathways and create change. For women who have often experienced significant hardship, Prison Network aims to be a source of hope, dignity, and purpose, and to ultimately reduce inter-generational cycles of incarceration and disadvantage.

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