Youth on Track, which has been established in the mid north coast, Blacktown and Hunter regions, is a voluntary support program for 10-17 year-olds at risk of long term involvement with crime. 

“Almost 90 per cent of young people who participated in Youth on Track either stabilised or reduced their contact with police and 53 per cent reduced their offending risk factors after three months,” member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said.

“It’s that missing link from the police through the education department, and providing that intervention early,” Youth on Track manager Linden Ross said.

“Engaging with their families and providing targeted individual intervention addressing the young person’s involvement with crime.”

After their second formal police contact, youth are screened for their eligibility for Youth on Track, which assesses the needs connected to their criminal behaviour, if they choose to participate. Linden said he believed it was the voluntary nature of the program and Centacare’s well rounded approach that resulted in so many successes.

“Participants who have completed the program have shown improvements in their family functioning behaviour and engagement with their school or employment. It’s that case management, intense case management of the young people through the program I think that is supporting the success of it,” he said. 

Linden said one of the key principles was early intervention, to prevent young people from continuing their involvement with the criminal justice system. He said one important element was separating treatment from their punishment.

“That involves responding to the risk and the need rather than simply to the crime,” he said. The program follows the principles of risk, need and responsibility. 

Linden said Inverell was chosen due to Juvenile Justice statistics along with Centacare’s previous involvement in the town.

“A joint support program certainly had indication that there was a number of clients that would be successful within the Youth on Track program,” he said.