Rethinking The Path To Healing For Our Youth: Reflections On NT Government Lowering The Age Of Criminal Responsibility

With the recent law lowering the age of criminal responsibility 10 in the NT, I feel compelled to share my own journey and why this issue is deeply personal to me. In my teens, I was disconnected from my culture, a loss that still haunts me. I fell in with the wrong crowd—people who introduced me to drugs, car theft, and paths that led many of them to prison. For a while, boxing was my refuge. Training at the local PCYC gym kept me grounded, and I even trained with the Australian National Team. But after high school, I found myself adrift again, disconnected from family and culture, living in share houses with people who were not a positive influence. I reached a point of complete despair.

One phone call changed everything. My family urged me to come home to Mparntwe, a choice that began my journey back to myself. Returning home reconnected me to my culture and community. Sitting down with my elders, hearing their stories, I found both healing and a deep awareness of the struggles facing our communities today. It’s this understanding that inspired me to work for Family and Children’s Services, now Territory Families, as a caseworker for children in state care. Many of these young people were dealing with addiction, bouncing between court dates and detention centres, often returning to unstable living situations that failed to meet their needs. Week after week, I saw how cycles of trauma and disconnection continued to entrap them.

While I support the intent behind lowering the age of criminal responsibility, I worry it sends the wrong message to these kids. Jail is not the answer; it didn’t work in the 2000s, and it won’t work now. Too often, children in these situations learn more criminal behaviours, and like I did, they make friends with others who lead them further from a healthy path. What these young people need is not punishment but healing.

Many of these children haven’t received the attention, guidance, and love they deserve. They’re often raised by grandmothers managing large households with limited resources, without adequate support for the additional children in their care. These young people need boundaries, but they also need a cultural process that holds them accountable in a way that promotes healing rather than punishment.

In my work in Cultural Leadership & Governance, I strive to honour Indigenous traditions and values, aligning modern governance with cultural integrity. We had programs like Mt Theo and Hodgson Downs Station that were effective but unfortunately defunded.

My work with Traditional Owners in West Arnhem taught me that in the past, the breach of cultural protocols led to a different kind of consequence for those who stepped out of line. Individuals would be sent to a remote camp for an extended period, where cultural leaders would regularly visit or stay with them, providing guidance and support. This was not an exile but a structured opportunity for growth, accountability, and healing.

The NT Government should consider following the example set by the Western Australian Government with the Marlamanu program.

Marlamanu: A Model for On-Country Diversionary Programs

The Marlamanu program is an Aboriginal-led initiative in Western Australia aimed at providing an on-country diversion facility for at-risk youth in the Kimberley region. Established at Mount Anderson Station, approximately 123 kilometres southeast of Derby, the program offers up to 16 places each year for male youths aged 14 to 17. It focuses on alternative rehabilitation pathways that build on cultural strengths, providing structured programs on a working pastoral station where participants can learn from Indigenous role models, build relationships of trust and responsibility, and develop skills.

The program is part of a comprehensive $40.4 million package by the Western Australian Government to help break the cycle of youth offending in the Kimberley. It emphasizes cultural leadership and governance, ensuring that the program aligns with community values and fosters cultural sensitivity and integrity.

By integrating cultural practices and providing a supportive environment, Marlamanu offers a potential solution that could be adapted to the NT context. Such programs demonstrate that when we invest in culturally grounded, community-led initiatives, we create pathways for our youth that lead to healing and empowerment, rather than punishment and further disconnection.

It's time to rethink how we approach youth who feel "untouchable." We need consequences rooted in cultural understanding and focused on restoration. Instead of perpetuating cycles of detention, let's create pathways that respect traditions, offering young people a way forward that is based on healing, not harm.