Community & Business
27 July, 2024
Mareeba programs to target at-risk youth
TWO programs that will seek to turn around young offenders or help those at risk in the Mareeba Shire have received $600,000 in State Government grants.
Support from Aboriginal Elders will have a key role in a 14-week program for at-risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth aged 8-17 as part of the Mission Australia Deadly Me program, while the Mareeba Community Centre will provide intensive care management support for those who need it.
The Deadly Me program will target young people transitioning from detention, on Youth Justice orders, engaged in the youth justice system, or at risk of offending, including young women.
Facilitated by Aboriginal Elders, the program covers history, identity, belonging, family values, and accountability, and concludes with an on-country camp.
It operates after hours and will have a minimum of 40 participants.
The community centre’s Youth Connections & Night Patrol Service provides intensive case management support and night patrols targeting at-risk young people in Mareeba.
It includes intensive Monday to Friday case management for around 30 young people aged 10-25, providing guidance and support, as well as night patrols three nights a week between 7pm-10 pm, offering a safe presence in the community.
Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said the community initiatives would complement the government’s comprehensive range of evidence-backed programs and measures designed to reduce offending and reduce the number of victims of crime.
“Community safety is an absolute priority for our government, and the Targeted Response to Youth Crime grants make safer communities by tackling youth crime issues at a local level,” she said.
“The local projects funded through these grants, along with the Miles Government’s Community Safety Plan funded in the State Budget and the comprehensive Putting Queensland Kids First initiative, create a wholistic suite of measures covering critical early intervention and prevention.
“We want our kids to have the best start in life, which the evidence shows reduces offending. That’s why we are investing in local solutions that tackle the root causes of young offending.
“Family violence and young offending are complex issues that require expert-led solutions.
“I am delighted to see funding flow to these two Mareeba Shire programs which have put their hand up to be part of the solution.
“So many individuals and organisations across our state want to be part of the solution – to help young people turn their lives around. I look forward to seeing the positive outcomes from this project.”
