Author Description

"Despite the implementation of a range of policies and programs aimed at reducing and preventing youth crime, Indigenous young people remain significantly over-represented in the Australian juvenile criminal justice system. Programs that are considered to be effective, and to achieve some if not all of their intended outcomes, share a number of common features and best practice factors, that contribute to their success. There are, however, gaps in the evidence base, some of which arise from numerous challenges in the evaluation phase, particularly in relation to the lack of solid and reliable data, including longitudinal data. Future evaluations of prevention and early intervention programs for Indigenous young people would benefit from using a program logic model that explicitly identifies expected outcomes and success measures early in the program development phase." [Conclusion]