About 26 children are involved in police youth diversion programs in Katherine.
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These 26 children are aged between 10 and 17 years old who are offered diversion instead of going to court.
The 26 is an average calculated "at any one time" across the past year.
The scale of the problem facing authorities was made clear as new programs aimed at reducing youth crime are rolled out in Katherine from today
Residents have long complained at what they call a revolving-door justice system where young offenders are caught by police but just as quickly released under current justice laws.
The NT Government said youth who pose a serious safety risk for Territorians will still face detention.
Responsibility for the youth crime crackdown has been handed over to non-government organisations such as the Kalano Community Association, Jesuit Social Services, Save the Children and the Australian Childhood Foundation.
Police, the courts, Territory Families and Education Department are also key to the new strategy.
Kalano will receive $300,000 a year over the next five years to deliver youth diversion programs.
Youth diversion in the NT allows police and the courts to divert young people from 10-17 away from the criminal youth justice system.
The government estimates about 45 youth will be involved in the youth diversion program, administered now by Kalano, and the new Back on Track program.
Kalano will have capacity to "support" 30 problem youth at any one time.
It appears the Back on Track program will have funding for about 15 youth at any one time.
Back on Track has won government funding of $5 million annual for Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Nhulunbuy.
"The funding provided to the service providers in the Katherine region will be approximately $1 million annually - subject to the identified need of the young people participating in the program and variable costs, which include training courses, mentoring and support," a government spokeswoman said.
Kalano will develop community youth diversion programs in Katherine, Beswick, Barunga, and Mataranka.
The programs will be led by Aboriginal leaders who will determine what actions young offenders will undertake to repair the harm that they have caused to the community.
Restorative actions may include housing repairs, mechanical repairs, maintenance and essential services. These programs will be operational in October.
From today, the Back on Track programs will begin which include youth wilderness camps, victim conferencing, early intervention and prevention programs for children under the age of criminal responsibility, and VET programs.
The youth camps will partner with Operation Flinders, based around treks in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia.
The eight day, 85km trek through the Flinders Ranges in South Australia is part of an early intervention strategy to break the cycle of youth offending.
Back on Track delivers programs which the government says have proven to stop offenders committing more crime.
It includes increased youth justice conferencing where courts order offenders to sit before victims and face up to the impacts of their actions.
Under the program, youth offenders in Katherine will be offered victim-offender conferences, which may include writing an apology letter or participating in intensive family support.
Territory Families Minister Dale Wakefield said: "The Government has the most extensive suite of measures to address the issue of young offenders ever seen in the Territory.
"Through our new Back on Track program as well as funding for community youth diversion programs, we are investing in local solutions and breaking the cycle of youth crime that has gone on for too long."
Katherine MLA Sandra Nelson said: "We are giving young people in Katherine and surrounding areas the opportunity to repair the harm that they have caused, as well as give them education and training pathways so that they can become productive members of our community."
Kalano Community Association chief executive Bill Headley said: "Kalano is committed to supporting young people and the community in Katherine.
"One mistake doesn't define a young person's entire life as it's in the best interests of the young person, their family and the community that they are diverted away from the criminal justice system and supported into education, training and provided with the opportunity to work with their victims."
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