Troubled Youth in Australia

How Good Life Farm can help young people avoid a life of crime

“I think programs like the Good Life Farm will foster a connection in » troubled youths «. This connection - whether it is to humans, animals or the community - is vital in steering them away from a life of crime.”

Sophie Bansemer is studying at justice and criminology at the Australian College of Applied Psychology. During her degree, all of her subjects reinforced what she already felt: the youth justice system is broken. Therefore, when she was to choose her placement, she spent a lot of time seeking out organizations like the Good Life Farm.

“My college compiled a list of pre-approved student placement opportunities, and these consisted of spending time in the courts, gaining experience as a legal assistant or helping the police in various capacities. For me, these positions keep the criminal justice system functioning exactly how it is today. I want to make a real difference and supporting the industry that is causing the harm just doesn’t feel right. This leads me on the quest to find a program that helps youths at a grass-roots level, and I found the Good Life Farm. “

Troubled Youth in Australia: About

As soon as a young offender makes contact with the Criminal Justice System the wheels are set in motion and it becomes very hard for them to deviate from a continuous life of crime. » 80% of youths that are incarcerated will re-offend within 2 years of their release. 80% will return to prison within 2 years «.

The Criminal Justice System uses terms such as therapeutic jurisprudence and restorative justice. In Victoria, there are even drug courts to help steer young people away from prison and into rehabilitation programs. These are great measures, however, the catchment for these programs is so small that they have little impact on the overall issues. Very rarely are these programs utilized as mainstream or national approaches. For e.g., the drug court in Melbourne only caters for the Dandenong region. If a child is outside this area, they have no choice but to go through the mainstream justice system.

Sophie has learned about alternatives to the mainstream, however very little is demonstrated to show what is available to people under these alternatives. The only education Sophie has received regarding ‘preventative’ measures for crime has been focused on school-based programs that aim to educate youth on consequences, drugs and mental health.

Troubled Youth in Australia: Values

Locally Owned

Making a difference one life at a time

Grassroots Healing

Preventing a future of crime & difficulty

Troubled Youth in Australia: Funktioner

“What about those that don’t go to a mainstream school? or those that are disconnected to society, communities, and school? those that are absent more than they are present at school? This leaves a large gap in the so-called preventative education for youths across the country.”

- Sophie Bansemer

Troubled Youth in Australia: Citat

These questions make it glaringly obvious to Sophie that there has been little to no focus on the grass-roots treatment programs available to youths. The ones that make a real difference in helping high-risk youths to navigate through their developmental years.

“It is said that up until we are 23 years old, we are natural risk takers and boundary pushers. It’s an innate part of our genetics as humans, so punishing that behavior with legal sanctions seems like a breach in human rights.”

This was exactly what caught Sophie’s attention when learning about the grassroots program at the Good Life Farm.

“In my first day of placement, I understood the subtle teachings of Lesley’s program. These youths were asked to do a distant oberservation and close observation of the animals, discussing how they looked and if they seemed healthy, agitated, or injured. These observations can be directly transferred into their everyday life by observing and reading people. These youths are learning fundamental and basic things, that due to the circumstances of their upbringing, may not have had guidance to understand. Such as ‘reading’ a situation based on others body language or behaviors.”

Amongst the range of children at Good Life Farm, there a few who are dealing with the residential- and justice system. Sophie Bansemer believes that programs like the Good Life Farm will foster a connection in troubled youths. Instead of increasing penalties and removing the judges' discretion to sentence according to the individual circumstances, the system should be focusing on the mental, physical and emotional health of young people, as that is where the change will start.