New data released by the Productivity Commission has confirmed:
· Victoria spends $7,304 per day to detain a single young offender, nearly triple New South Wales ($2,573) and double the national average ($3,635).
· 56.6 per cent of young people released from sentenced supervision in Victoria returned within 12 months, compared to 39.9 per cent in New South Wales across 2022-23.
· Victoria's youth detention total rate of assault per custody night was 59 per cent higher than New South Wales across 2024-25.
· Victoria conducted just 207 group conferences - a key diversion program - in 2024-25, compared to 1,246 in New South Wales.
This report follows recent independent crime statistics agency data which confirmed criminal offences are at an all-time high as more than 67 alleged offender incidents involving under 18-year-olds occurred every day in the 12 months to September 2025.
Under Premier Jacinta Allan, crime is up, police are down as net debt continues to rise by $1.7 million an hour and is expected to reach a record $192.6 billion by 2028-29.
Shadow Minister for Youth Justice, Renee Heath, said: "Under Labor, Victoria's youth justice system is fundamentally broken.
"Not only are Premier Jacinta Allan and Labor failing to keep Victorians safe from violent repeat offenders - but they're charging the taxpayer an absolute premium for some of the worst youth justice outcomes in the nation.
"Children who have engaged in crime must be given the opportunity to turn their lives around. Under Labor, underage offenders aren't being given the skills to break the cycle of crime.
"The Liberals and Nationals believe in providing opportunities that keep young people out of prison, but under Premier Jacinta Allan, more than half of those that enter the system will return to a life of crime.
"Labor cannot manage money, cannot keep communities safe and Victorians are paying the price."
