From ideas to impact: students improving the lives of young people

A collaborative partnership between the University of Sydney and Youth Justice NSW (YJNSW) has the potential to make a significant and positive impact to the outcomes of youth in conflict with the law.

The University of Sydney and YJNSW signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in July 2021, creating pathways for our students to valuably contribute to identifying the health, welfare, needs and behaviours of youth at risk of offending.

Since the signing of the MoU, the multidisciplinary affiliation has created various opportunities for our students to make a tangible impact in the youth justice system, while earning credit points towards their degree and invaluable experience for their career.

Students from various faculties and schools across the University – including criminology, social work, media and communication, politics and more – have successfully completed internships, placements, and thousands of hours of work experience with YJNSW.

Supporting vulnerable youth

Through the YJNSW and Sydney partnership, students work closely with diverse communities and a range of stakeholders at youth justice centres, while receiving academic supervision and mentorship on campus at Sydney. By working on projects both independently and in groups, students apply innovation and creativity to solve complex issues affecting young people within the youth justice system.

One of the recent projects involved Master of Occupational Therapy students completing the OCCP5239: Community Fieldwork Project Placement unit to develop a series of visual aid resources for YJNSW.

These students collaborated with YJNSW officers to produce a range of resources that help explain classification to young people with low levels of literacy. By providing a clear understanding of classification ratings, the resources aimed to engage and motivate those within the youth justice system to work towards lowering their classification and setting their own goals for the future.

“Having the opportunity to step out of typical hypothetical scenarios at University and actually work with YJNSW officers to identify the real needs of real people and provide real solutions was what made the experience so memorable and rewarding,” said Amy Jenkins, a Master of Occupational Therapy student who led the team creating the visual aid resources.

“As we were working in a relatively new area for allied health, we had the opportunity to be innovative and creative. I loved translating our research and outcomes of discussions with our academic supervisors and the YJNSW team into our final deliverable,” Amy added.

Other students have completed placements in regional Youth Justice Community Offices, including Wagga Wagga and Gosford. These students teamed up with caseworkers to support the needs of youths in the justice system, by accompanying them in court or helping them attend their appointments.

“I chose to complete a rural placement in Wagga Wagga to broaden my world view and immerse myself in a new community. I was able to travel to surrounding towns such as Cootamundra, Gundagai and Temora, which was a great experience to learn about the service gaps in regional and rural areas,” said Julia Gerling, a Bachelor of Social Work student who completed the SCWK3005: Field Education 1 unit.

“Through my placement at the Wagga Wagga Youth Justice Community Office, I learned to adapt my practice to meet the responsivity needs of the young people I was supervising. It highlighted to me how intersecting elements like disability, trauma, poverty and others may influence a young person's involvement in the criminal justice system, and how these factors can be a barrier to accessing support services,” Julia added.

The supervision of young people in the youth justice system is an important part of youth justice work.

“It allows the caseworker and young person to catch up regularly and see what areas of support that young person may need, so they can go on to live their lives to the fullest. There’s so much potential for these kids – sometimes they just need the support to get there,” Julia explained.

Master of Criminology student Sophie Cropper completed an internship with a YJNSW central office policy team last year. While studying the LAWS6986: Criminal Justice Internship unit, Sophie worked on the development of resources to be used when working with young people in the youth justice system. The internship involved regularly meeting with staff in the custody team and beyond to discuss the effectiveness of policies and completing project research to inform the development of new tools and resources.

“The internship was extremely beneficial to my studies. Not only did it open my eyes to the various realms and complexities of youth justice, but it provided insight into the dedication YJNSW has towards reforming youth justice outcomes across the state," Sophie said.

"I became highly intrigued by the socio-economic correlation between those deemed ‘criminal’ and those not during my internship. It also highlighted the challenges and opportunities associated with accurately implementing new policy schemes that meet the needs and demands of the community.”

Enhance your learning and further your career

The partnership between the University of Sydney and YJNSW is a prime example of leadership for good, and how our students benefit tremendously from collaborative efforts between education, industry and government.

While focused on the youth justice system, the experience of working with YJNSW is applicable to many careers and jobs, and beneficial to a range of degrees at the University.

“I would recommend any student to complete a placement with YJNSW – there is so much scope for many disciplines across the University to provide solutions to needs in the youth justice space and support young people in custody,” Amy said.

“While my Master of Occupational Therapy degree does not directly lead to work in the criminal justice system, the skills in research, resource creation, communication and leadership I learned from my YJNSW project have contributed to my success in my current role as an occupational therapist in the community disability sector,” she added.

Sophie also encourages students to take the opportunity of an internship with YJNSW for valuable work experience.

“I would highly recommend an internship with YJNSW to anyone considering a career pathway in the criminal justice system or considering policy/procedure work. Combining work experience with your tertiary education provides a different realm of learning and assists in acknowledging the connection and purpose between the two spheres,” Sophie said.

“Although I'm not currently working within the criminal justice system, I still refer to what I learned from interacting with senior staff at YJNSW and apply this knowledge to my role today,” Sophie added.

There are many pathways for you to get involved with the partnership between the University of Sydney and Youth Justice NSW, through internships, placements, and work experience. Want to know more? Visit the University of Sydney Youth Justice Collaboration website or contact Associate Professor Garner Clancey at garner.clancey@sydney.edu.au.

If you're interested in working in the criminal justice system, the University of Sydney Law School is facilitating a free two-hour tour of Yasmar, the former youth detention centre at Haberfield, on Friday 10 May, where you'll meet staff and learn about features of the youth justice system. Places are limited so please register online.