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The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be … used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.

Dr Jonas has focused this report on young Indigenous people young between the ages of 15 and 29. The Indigenous population is young, with a median age of 20. Over the next decade a high proportion of Indigenous people will reach working age and be ready to take on adult responsibilities. From this group will emerge Indigenous Australia's future leaders.

Our challenge for the future is to embrace a new partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The core of this partnership for the future is closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians on life expectancy, educational achievement and employment opportunities.

;Ultimately we have to be judged not by our highest ambitions and achievements, but by our ability to raise from the lowest level those whose needs that are greatest. That is the way I would like Australia, and every other country, to be judged in the United Nations."

We all know that prejudices are prevalent within our society. We also know that such prejudices often translate into discrimination. And yet, proving discrimination is notoriously difficult.[1]

This report provides an investigation of early intervention and diversionary practices aimed at preventing offending behaviour in Indigenous young people with a cognitive disability[1] and/ or a mental health problem. It builds on our previous report, Indigenous young people with cognitive disabilities and the Australian juvenile justice system.[2] Specifically, it examines what is available for these young people, identifies systemic service delivery gaps and points to promising interventions that have the capacity to prevent offending behaviour.