Yarning for Change: Listen to My Voice

Over a six-month period, we yarned with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people about their experiences of the Queensland youth justice system, in response to a Queensland Government 2020 election commitment. This first round of yarns focussed on having culturally appropriate community conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children about their interactions with the justice system, forming Yarning for Change: Listen to My Voice.

Yarning for Change: Listen to My Voice is a qualitative study being led by the QFCC to investigate the lived experiences of children and young people aged 8 to 25 years who are in contact with the Queensland youth justice system. The aim of the study is to:

• assess the impact of current youth justice reforms on the wellbeing and rights of children and young people and to consider the efficacy of existing responses in addressing the causes of recidivism; and
• ensure the voices of children, their families, communities and those who support them are heard and considered when informing and evaluating changes to the youth justice system in Queensland.