Youth Justice Innovation Advisory Council | Hello Innitiative

Youth Justice Innovation

Advisory Council

The Youth Justice Innovation Advisory Council (YJIAC) is a youth advisory council specific to the youth criminal legal system within WA. This project provides a unique opportunity for young people to have their voices heard and to tell the world about their experiences.

Hello Initiative are committed to actioning the insights uncovered through the YJIAC.

"Nobody Is Listening"

Late last year, HI spoke with 18 brave young people who shared their experiences with the WA youth criminal legal system.

From incarceration to navigating complex court systems, young people shared perspectives that underscore a critical need for reform. We believe young people’s voices should have the power to reshape policies and practices, pushing for a system that prioritises compassion, rehabilitation, and, above all, listening.

Thank you to Port School and Curtin University for collaborating with us on this project, and our deepest thanks to the young people who bravely shared their experiences to contribute to the ‘Nobody is Listening’ report. Their voices should be the driving force toward creating a safer and fairer youth criminal legal system.

If you would like to help champion this future, please share this report with everyone you know. The more advocates on this subject means more pressure on our politicians to make needed changes to the youth criminal legal system. You can also urge the WA government to take immediate action by emailing your MP.

Download "Nobody Is Listening"

WHY A YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL?

Founded in 2019, HI has become a major supplier of support services in youth justice across WA, driven by a mission to improve the social and judicial outcomes for young people involved in criminal justice. HI recognised the need for meaningful engagement with young people in the design and delivery of the social impact pilots and programs that affect them, and in 2023 established the YJIAC as a direct response to this need.

The first of its kind within this sector, this project has been designed to provide consumer insight
and feedback on the system, identify key challenges experienced by young people in the justice system, and support the delivery of high-impact social change programs.

Traditionally, young people interacting with the justice system have not had a platform to share their
thoughts, experiences and ideas for change. As service leaders in the youth justice space and with a robust background in Human-Centred Design approaches, HI is well placed to undertake this work and recognised the need to create pathways for advocacy to ultimately deliver services that meet the needs of young people. This program is critically important as young people interacting with the justice system have a right to speak up on issues that affect them, as well as ensure services meet the needs of the affected
communities.

WHAT ARE THE PROJECT'S OBJECTIVES?

Elevate the importance of listening to young people’s views and lived experiences on the
challenges of the youth justice journey and raise community awareness of these challenges.
Identify key intervention points where programs could improve social or judicial outcomes and better support young people.
Implement co-design principles for development of new projects through HI’s pilot project pathway and through any continuous improvement opportunities for other major projects.
Provide an opportunity for professional development for young people in a space to self-advocate and create a greater dialogue between ‘the system’, the community of service providers, and the young people involved in the youth justice sector.