Youth Justice Programs

Whitelion, 155 Roden Street, West Melbourne.
03 8354 0800
Eliana.cuppari@whitelion.asn.au

Whitelion delivers the Justice Employment program to provide young people whose behaviours have resulted in involvement with the Justice system or are at risk of criminality, as well providing positive community connectedness, young people are supported to engage, re-engage in education and training or employment.

Level 1, 108-112 Langridge St, Collingwood VIC 3066
0422 608 391
admin@womenandmentoring.org.au

Women in Mentoring (WAM) matches women (including young women) who have been involved in the youth justice or adult justice system with women mentors to support their transition post release or post involvement. WAM offers a unique, early intervention program that supports women charged with a criminal offence by matching them individually with a supportive volunteer, female mentor. The volunteer mentors are trained and resourced to provide appropriate support to the program participants, to share their skills and to contribute to the wider community. The program has made a significant positive difference to the participants’ confidence, coping mechanisms and capacity to respond to their legal matters and address the issues that underlie their offending. The vast majority of the participants have avoided a prison sentence and have not re-offended.

For 18 – 30 year olds 67 Stubbs Street Kensington VIC 3031
1300 997 198
info@iempower.com.au

The iEmpower Diversion Program provides culturally appropriate early intervention services, which are designed to reduce the likelihood of offending and reoffending by young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. The Program provides young first-time offenders with opportunities for rehabilitation, personal growth, education and skills development; enabling them to reject antisocial and criminal behaviour. The program also links in with iEmpowers other youth initiatives such as employment and training programs to further support reducing recidivism. The program also seeks to assist the justice system to deal with complex cultural and religious issues when implementing appropriate diversion intervention.

Young people involved in youth justice

03 9421 7600

​jss@jss.org.au

Jesuit Social Services Advocacy initiative aimed at addressing the treatment of children who come into contact with the Youth Justice System to promote greater understanding of the precursors leading to criminal behaviour and to support more helpful interventions that lead to positive change. This is not a service but a campaign to promote #Wortha2ndChance.

For youth organisations supporting youth involved in justice

This University of Melbourne initiative brings together key stakeholders to address myths and negative perceptions impacting the rights and opportunities of young people coming into contact with the Youth Justice system. The network is:
• Building capacity within organisations working with and for justice-involved young people in Victoria;
• Providing a platform for diverse expertise, skills and knowledge to be shared;
• Gathering and collating resources for those working to improve the experience of and outcomes for justice-involved young people; and
• Using the knowledge generated to understand and better respond to the complexity of issues associated with young people’s interactions with the justice system in Victoria.