Australia needs to stop jailing 10-year-old children.

Authorities are disproportionately targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Say No to Jailing 10-Year-Olds in Australia. Protect Children's Futures! Sign Now    Arfin, In a shocking and regressive move, the Northern Territory of Australia is planning to resume jailing children as young as 10 years old. This alarming decision comes after a brief pause last year, when the region's government raised the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old instead. Just as alarming: most Australian states have been allowing authorities to jail 10 year old children this whole time. Australia's practice is also very clearly racist. Evidence shows that these criminality laws disproportionately target and victimize children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. In the Northern Territory, authorities throw children in jail 11 times more frequently than in any other Australian jurisdiction — and nearly all of these children are Aboriginal. Indigenous rights organizations, human rights groups, doctors, and members of the international community have been sounding the alarm about the harm that these punitive measures are inflicting on vulnerable youth. Research confirms that incarcerating children has devastating impacts on their mental health, education, and future prospects.    The government must ddress the broader societal contexts that lead to youth's behavior, without exacerbating the cycle of trauma and disadvantage that many of these children face. Sign the petition against the jailing of 10-year-olds and demand investment in community-based support systems that foster rehabilitation and growth, rather than punishment.   Thank you, Miranda Care2 Petitions Team P.S. Together, we can ensure that children are treated with the compassion they deserve — not as criminals, but as the next generation, deserving of hope and opportunity. Sign the petition.      Sign Now