A group of students from St Thomas of Canterbury College high school in Christchurch who created a detailed report on young people in custody in New Zealand say they wanted to be a voice for the voiceless.
The six students from St Thomas of Canterbury College have produced a 40 page report based on data they obtained from Government agencies through the Official Information Act.
The group found that youth justice facilities had:
- High reconviction rates
- More than half of the young people apprehended for imprisonable offences were Maori
- 69 percent of under 20s who are incarcerated are reconvicted
- 45 percent end up back in prison
The project leader, 18-year-old Lincoln Harrison, said the group aimed to shed light on the issue of youth in custody.
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