The Northern Territory yesterday hit another unwanted milestone in terms of youth detention with a record number of Indigenous youth held in detention since 2016/17.

The Productivity Commission last week reported that the rate of detention of Aboriginal youth in the Northern Territory had worsened, and in totality for all targets, the Northern Territory was the worst-performing jurisdiction in the country under the National Agreement of Closing the Gap.

Youth detention numbers had been declining from January 2025 but have more than doubled since punitive bail laws were introduced in April 2025. Yesterday there were 60 young people in detention in the Northern Territory, with 57 or 95% identifying as Indigenous. This is the highest number of youth in detention recorded in the last eight years—Indigenous youth detention in the Northern Territory from 2016/17 to 2023/24 has ranged from 23 to 49 (source: Productivity Commission). Of concern, 85% of young people in detention yesterday had not been sentenced and were on remand or had a warrant pending.

Today in the Youth Justice Court we saw another disturbing case of the rush to detain young Aboriginal children. A young Aboriginal male aged just 13 with a number of diagnosed disabilities was yesterday arrested by police at his school for allegedly shoplifting ice cream, chips and lollies. The offence is alleged to have occurred last week. Police denied him bail, despite the presumption being for bail, and he was held in the Palmerston watch house for 24 hours with the lights on all night. While in the watch house he was denied access to his medication that his foster carer had taken to the watch house after his arrest and despite multiple requests was not permitted to speak to foster carer. When the young person came before the Youth Justice Court, Her Honour Judge Opie granted bail immediately and released him on his own undertaking with no conditions.

NAAJA has reiterated its calls for a different approach to law and order in the Northern Territory—crime is increasing despite record rates of incarceration of Aboriginal people and the current approach is just not working. The Youth Justice Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 introduced into Parliament last week is just going to lead to even more Aboriginal youth in detention that should not be there.

Media contact

Comments in this media release other than direct quotes can be attributed to a NAAJA spokesperson.

Anthony Beven
0419 218 518 / anthony.beven@naaja.org.au
NAAJA MR2025-13
7 August 2025