← Youth Justice
State Deep DiveSA
South Australia Youth Justice
SA has 20x Indigenous overrepresentation with 80 children detained daily. $560M in 10-year ROGS spending at $2,890/day per child in detention.
$128K
SA Youth Justice Funding
80
Avg Daily Detention
20x
First Nations Overrepresentation
58%
Evidence Coverage
Key Outcomes
AIHW Youth Justice 2023-24 & ROGS 2026 data.
2.8
Detention rate per 10K
80
Avg daily detention
68%
Unsentenced (remand)
Detention rate per 10,000 young people
| Metric | QLD | NSW | VIC | WA | NT | National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detention rate (per 10K) | 5.1 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 4.2 | 17 | 3.4 |
| Avg daily detention | 317 | 200 | 120 | 145 | 62 | 950 |
| Indigenous overrepresentation | 26x | 22x | 14x | 24x | 5x | 17x |
| % unsentenced (remand) | 86% | 72% | 65% | 78% | 80% | 75% |
| Cost per day (detention) | $2,162 | $3,200 | $7,123 | $2,573 | $4,800 | $3,635 |
| 5-year trend | +53% | +86% | +37% | -10% | 0% | +19% |
Sources: AIHW Youth Justice in Australia 2023-24, ROGS 2026 Table 17A.
Where the Money Goes (ROGS)
Productivity Commission ROGS 2026 — 10-year expenditure breakdown.
78%
Detention-based
$435.4M
18%
Community-based
$103.0M
4%
Group conferencing
$21.4M
DetentionCommunityConferencing
Funding by Program
Youth Justice Community Engagement Program1 grants$48K1 orgs
| →Sammy D Foundation | 1 | $48K |
Aboriginal Visitors Scheme (AVS) Child and Young People Justice1 grants$20K1 orgs
A new approach to youth engagement & empowerment for young people with a hearing impairment1 grants$17K1 orgs
| →Cora Barclay Centre | 1 | $17K |
Equipping Adventure Services to support at risk and/or disadvantaged young people1 grants$14K1 orgs
Increasing capacity to support young people, volunteers and outreach work1 grants$14K1 orgs
ExploreAbility Camps for Young People1 grants$5K1 orgs
Project Resources for Young People in Residential Rehabilitation1 grants$4K1 orgs
Books for children & young people to connect with Carers1 grants$2K1 orgs
The Pro Health Community Foundation — $2,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation1 grants$2K1 orgs
Indigenous resources to entertain and provide cultural connection for at-risk Aboriginal children and young people1 grants$2K1 orgs
Top Funded Organisations
| Organisation | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sammy D Foundation | 1 | $48K |
| Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement | 1 | $20K |
| Cora Barclay Centre | 1 | $17K |
| Baptist Care (SA) Incorporated | 2 | $16K |
| Whitelion Youth Agency Ltd | 1 | $14K |
| disAbility Living Inc | 1 | $5K |
| Catholic Family Services | 1 | $4K |
| Connecting Foster Carers - SA Inc | 1 | $2K |
| Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation | 1 | $2K |
ALMA Interventions (31)
Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council SA Youth Programs
Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council (SA) Aboriginal Corporation
TherapeuticPromising (community-endorsed, emerging evidence)SA
Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) Youth Services
Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement
DiversionPromising (community-endorsed, emerging evidence)SAStatewide
Nunkuwarrin Yunti Youth and Family Services
Nunkuwarrin Yunti Of Sa Inc
Cultural ConnectionUntested (theory/pilot stage)SA
Port Augusta Youth Accommodation and Support Services
Wraparound SupportUntested (theory/pilot stage)SA
Junction Australia Youth Services
Junction Australia Ltd
Wraparound SupportUntested (theory/pilot stage)SA
Nunga Court (Youth Court)
Courts Administration Authority
DiversionPromising (community-endorsed, emerging evidence)Murray BridgeSA
Jesuit Social Services NT Youth Justice Programs
Jesuit Social Services Limited
DiversionPromising (community-endorsed, emerging evidence)NTPalmerstonSA
Sarina District Youth Services
Valley District Youth Services
Wraparound SupportUntested (theory/pilot stage)QLDSA
South Australia Justice Reinvestment Project 2
SA Department for Correctional Services
Justice ReinvestmentSA
Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre
SA Department of Human Services
Wraparound SupportUntested (theory/pilot stage)SA
Family and Youth Drug Court
Courts Administration Authority
Family StrengtheningPromising (community-endorsed, emerging evidence)SA
Youth Justice Community Programs
NSW GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
Wraparound SupportPromising (community-endorsed, emerging evidence)SA
Ceduna Justice Reinvestment
Ceduna Justice Reinvestment Initiative
Justice ReinvestmentPromising (community-endorsed, emerging evidence)SA
Noosa Youth Connect Space
PreventionPromising (community-endorsed, emerging evidence)QLDSA
Youth Treatment Orders
TherapeuticPromising (community-endorsed, emerging evidence)SA
South Australia Community-Led Youth Initiative
SA Department for Correctional Services
Community-LedSA
South Australia Youth Housing Support 2
SA Department for Correctional Services
Wraparound SupportSA
South Australia Youth Mental Health Services
SA Department for Correctional Services
TherapeuticSA
South Australia Youth Mentoring Initiative 3
SA Department for Correctional Services
Wraparound SupportSA
South Australia Restorative Justice Conferencing 2
SA Department for Correctional Services
DiversionSA
South Australia Youth Diversion Program
SA Department for Correctional Services
DiversionSA
South Australia Restorative Justice Conferencing
SA Department for Correctional Services
DiversionSA
South Australia Youth Mentoring Initiative 2
SA Department for Correctional Services
Wraparound SupportSA
South Australia Youth Housing Support
SA Department for Correctional Services
Wraparound SupportSA
South Australia Youth Diversion Program 3
SA Department for Correctional Services
DiversionSA
Evidence Coverage
18 of 31 interventions have formal evidence58%
18 with evidence13 without evidence
| Intervention | Type | Evidence | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Australia Community-Led Youth Initiative | Community-Led | Gap | — |
| South Australia Justice Reinvestment Project | Justice Reinvestment | Gap | — |
| South Australia Restorative Justice Conferencing | Diversion | Gap | — |
| South Australia Restorative Justice Conferencing 2 | Diversion | Gap | — |
| South Australia Youth Diversion Program | Diversion | Gap | — |
| South Australia Youth Diversion Program 2 | Diversion | Gap | — |
| South Australia Youth Diversion Program 3 | Diversion | Gap | — |
| South Australia Youth Housing Support | Wraparound Support | Gap | — |
| South Australia Youth Housing Support 2 | Wraparound Support | Gap | — |
| South Australia Youth Mental Health Services | Therapeutic | Gap | — |
| South Australia Youth Mentoring Initiative | Wraparound Support | Gap | — |
| South Australia Youth Mentoring Initiative 2 | Wraparound Support | Gap | — |
| South Australia Youth Mentoring Initiative 3 | Wraparound Support | Gap | — |
| Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council SA Youth Programs | Therapeutic | Yes | The evaluation utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data analysis with qualitative interviews from participants and stakeholders. |
| Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council SA Youth Programs | Therapeutic | Yes | Randomised controlled trial comparing outcomes between Youth on Track participants and a control group over a 24-month follow-up period |
| Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council SA Youth Programs | Therapeutic | Yes | — |
| Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council SA Youth Programs | Therapeutic | Yes | The review synthesized findings from multiple studies focusing on demand control programs targeting substance use among Indigenous youth. |
| Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) Youth Services | Diversion | Yes | — |
| Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) Youth Services | Diversion | Yes | — |
| Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) Youth Services | Diversion | Yes | — |
| Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) Youth Services | Diversion | Yes | Analysis of 3,500 conference outcomes over 5 years |
| Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) Youth Services | Diversion | Yes | Evaluation of Koori Court operations across Victorian locations |
| Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) Youth Services | Diversion | Yes | — |
| BG Fit Youth Health & Fitness | Prevention | Yes | Analysis of 35 sport-based youth development programs |
| Ceduna Justice Reinvestment | Justice Reinvestment | Yes | Community-led evaluation across 28 on-country and cultural programs |
| Family and Youth Drug Court | Family Strengthening | Yes | Review of 38 family-based intervention programs |
| Jesuit Social Services NT Youth Justice Programs | Diversion | Yes | — |
| Jesuit Social Services NT Youth Justice Programs | Diversion | Yes | Annual collection of performance data from all Australian jurisdictions |
| Junction Australia Youth Services | Wraparound Support | Yes | — |
| KNYA Justice Reinvestment | Justice Reinvestment | Yes | Community-led evaluation across 28 on-country and cultural programs |
Funding by LGA
| LGA | Orgs | Total Funding | SEIFA Decile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | 1 | $48K | 6 |
Community-Controlled Funding Gap
Community Controlled
$20K
1 orgs, avg grant $20K
Non-Indigenous
$1.9B
4 orgs, avg grant $26.0M
Funding by Remoteness
| Remoteness | Orgs | Total | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major Cities of Australia | 5 | $1.9B | 73 |
Political Connections
No political connection data available for SA youth justice organisations.
Network Graph
Explore South Australia Youth Justice funding flows
Interactive force-directed graph showing programs, recipients, and evidence links