U-TURN: IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICE YOUTH PROGRAMS

Sub-program B: Reducing the Volume of Theft

Approach B3: Reducing the Involvement of Young People in Vehicle Theft

Background

Most of the young people who dabble in vehicle theft are motivated by peer pressure and simply ‘grow out’ of offending or cease offending after they have been apprehended once. A small number however go on to become high-rate recidivist offenders: some have stolen hundreds of cars by the time they reach their mid teens.

Traditional justice responses have had little impact on youth theft offending. Detaining one young person for a year — at an average of $140,000 per offender — often sees the young person released back into the community without the life, education or employment skills needed to break away from his or her offending lifestyle.

In 2002, the NMVTRC developed its cost effective Best Practice Model and Business Plan for a young recidivist offender program to provide an alternative to traditional, often ineffective responses. The program model, jointly funded by the NMVTRC and the Australian Government’s National Crime Prevention Program, is being trialled in three locations under the name of U-Turn.

Work Program

U-Turn Tasmania - 2003

The Tasmanian U-Turn program commenced operation in Hobart in February 2003. It is operated by Mission Australia under contract to the Tasmanian Department of Police and Public Safety.

The program was a beneficiary of the Sony Foundation and Harvey Norman ‘Rainbow Day’ promotion and has secured funding from the Tasmanian Community Fund to assist with accommodating program participants from the north and north-west of the State.

On 21 May 2004, Tasmanian Premier, the Hon. Paul Lennon, announced that his Government had allocated nearly $1.5m to extend the successful U-Turn program through until 2007. The announcement is a great vote of confidence in the NMVTRC model and a measure of how well U-Turn has been embraced by local stakeholders and the Tasmanian community.

Click here to download the Tasmanian U-Turn program brochure.

Click here for the Tasmanian U-Turn program evaluation report.

U-Turn Western Australia - 2003

The Western Australian U-Turn program commenced operation in October 2003 from the Perth suburb of Northbridge. It is operated by Mission Australia under contract to the WA’s Department of Premier and Cabinet.

U-Turn Queensland - 2004

The Queensland U-Turn program commenced operation in mid 2004. The program is operating under contract to the Queensland Police Service and has experienced a high level of retention and completion of its participants.  Click here for more detail.

Next Steps

A ‘live’, on-going evaluation of U-Turn is being undertaken by consultants Urbis: JHD under contract to the Australian Government’s Attorney-General’s Department. The evaluation will feed into the NMVTRC’s refinement of the best practice model and its efforts to have the program accepted as a mainstream juvenile justice response.