By KEIRA JENKINS

Indigenous children’s organisations are urging governments to ‘be honest’ about Australia’s youth justice system, and invest in community-led solutions.

A report from the Human Rights Commission, released yesterday, found authorities were approaching youth justice the wrong way, and the system must be transformed to better protect communities, reduce offending and address the needs of children.

The report called for  banning the use of solitary confinement, raising the age of criminal responsibility, appointing a cabinet minister for children and establishing a national taskforce to reform child justice systems

National peak body for Indigenous children, SNAICC, chief executive Catherine Liddle said governments must admit that current systems are failing and instead invest in early intervention, and community-led programs.

“When it comes to that moment in time when it’s all got too much and the crime has been committed, when they stand in a courtroom, the only person held responsible for those failures is the child,” she said.

“There were so many people and organisations and so many programs that failed before you got to that point in time and yet we put all the onus on the child being responsible.

“This is where the evidence counts. This is where people and governments genuinely need to be honest.”

Catherine Liddle says efforts should be put into creating safe communities to reduce offending. (Lukas Coch/AAP)

Ms Liddle said as elections across state, territory and federal governments draw nearer, communities and organisations working with children start “bracing for the hits” as youth crime is politicised.

“What we see is our children picked up and kicked from pillar to post as we talk about more incarceration, more removals instead of what we really need to be doing, and that is putting our efforts into creating safe communities and safe environments,” she said.

National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds said evidence the ‘tough on crime’ approach doesn’t work has been available for some time, but governments are persisting down this path.

“I am convinced now that unless we build some accountability mechanisms to ensure proper evidence-based reform is implemented we will be here having the same conversation in 10 years time,” she said.

“It is not a problem of not knowing, it is a problem of not acting.”

A spokesperson for NT-based First Nations not-for-profit Children’s Ground, said the organisation has presented solutions to government to tackle injustices faced by Indigenous children.

“Our solutions are First Nations-led and backed by significant funding that we put on the table,” they said.

“We have had silence from government. Instead, our children are punished and locked up.

“Governments must start listening and acting on expert advice. They must enter meaningful collaboration with First Nations communities to reform this crisis.”

AAP