Armed teens left Ben and his family terrified. But he doesn’t want them jailed for longer

He argued that parents should be held responsible and suggested that working on government projects such as repairing roads could have alternative outcomes for both children and their parents.

Mansfield said the government needs to be more open and willing to discuss systemic solutions.

Black Rock’s Adele Andrews was also skeptical of the proposed changes, questioning whether police, courts or prisons had “sufficient resources” to administer the reforms.

In March, his home was broken into by youths wielding machetes. He was unsure whether prison was the best place for children and suggested alternatives such as working on farms.

The proposed laws would move juveniles accused of serious crimes, such as trespassing, carjacking, and intentionally or recklessly causing injury in circumstances of serious violence, to adult courts, allowing them to face much longer sentences.

Sentences in Juvenile Court are limited to three years for a single crime, while adult courts can impose sentences of 20 to 25 years for similar crimes.

The proposal would also increase the maximum sentence for aggravated home invasion and car theft from 25 years to life in prison.

Victoria Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive Nerita Waight said the proposed changes would disproportionately affect Aboriginal children.

“Shame on this government, shame on the prime minister and shame on this cabinet for allowing your leader to push this agenda on our children,” Waight said.

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“Victoria is a cruel and unforgiving state… It’s only a matter of time before we mourn the loss of a child at the hands of the state.”

Human Rights Law Center deputy legal director Monique Hurley said the Allan government was emulating the Queensland LNP government’s youth justice laws in a “worrying race to the bottom”.

Victoria Legal Aid criminal law executive director Kate Bundrock said this ignored root causes, would increase recidivism and alienate young people from education and communities.

Police Union Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said the government was moving in the right direction but warned the government should not compromise the effectiveness of reforms aimed at validating “minority views”.

“There will be a lot of stakeholders lining up to tell the government it got it wrong,” Gatt said.

Opposition Leader Brad Battin said that it was an aggressive behavior for the government to write a press release and print a dossier before the bill was even drafted.

“This underscores the absolute filth the government is feeding society,” he said.

The Allan government is dogged by a wave of violent youth crime, including the stabbing death of a 12-year-old boy Chol Achiek and 15-year-old Dau Akueng were heavily criticized by the opposition weak on crime.