Local courts feel the impact of tough new bail laws

LOCAL courts in Bass Coast and South Gippsland have started to see the impact of Victoria's new bail laws amid calls for more local youth crime prevention programs.

A strict second-strike rule effectively ensures anyone already on bail for an indictable offence who commits another offence is no longer entitled to the presumption of bail.

“Repeat offending will not be tolerated,” according to Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny.

Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale MP questioned the Premier on how the state's new Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) would reduce youth crime risks locally. Ms Crugnale emphasised the best way to prevent crime was to intervene early.

A promising local initiative 'Shift the Mindset - Change the Story' developed by Leading Senior Constable Nicholas Carlson from the Bass Coast proactive policing unit has adopted an adventure therapy model to support at-risk 12- to 15-year-olds.

Ms Crugnale noted that grassroots initiatives like the Shift program require direct support and funding through the VRU to successfully get off the ground and alter the life paths of vulnerable local youth.

The changes in bail laws however have sparked grave concern from the Commission for Children and Young People which has warned that the wide net cast by the new laws could capture vulnerable youth far beyond the small group of repeat serious offenders.

Latest crime statistics show bail refusals are at a record high with Victoria experiencing an 11% increase moving from 106.6 to 118.4 prisoners per 100,000 adults.

The prison population increased by roughly 700 people in the year leading up to October 2025 with a significant portion of this growth attributed to unsentenced prisoners.

The number of people on remand in Victorian jails has jumped by 200 per cent over the past two decades and now accounts for more than a third of the prison population.

Premier Jacinta Allan said males in their mid-to-late teens make up the most of the state’s alleged aggravated burglary offenders with 64 per cent under the age of 20.

“The tough bail laws again squarely target the risks of these younger serious offenders.”

Critics of the bail laws claim they fail to address the root causes of offending behaviour.

"Denying bail removes children and young people from the community and critically denies them access to crucial support services that help address the underlying issues of their behaviour. This short-sighted approach increases the likelihood of children re-entering the community following their eventual hearing with no referral to necessary services, perpetuating a cycle of incarceration that does not work to rehabilitate and ultimately does not work to reduce crime or improve community safety."

Member for Eastern Victoria Renee Heath MP claimed the latest crime statistics showed the state government was failing to stop young people committing crimes, with minors committing 52.6 per cent of carjackings, 47.8 per cent of aggravated burglaries and 62.4 per cent of armed robberies.

Minister for Youth Justice Enver Erdogan MP said there had been an increase in the state’s custodial population as a result of the tough new bail act and there had been a decline in serious offences like burglary, robbery and family violence.