Tasmania's government plans to raise the minimum age of youth detention from 10 to 14.
The move is part of broader reforms to the island state's justice system, Children and Youth Minister Roger Jaensch announced on Wednesday.
"This will be one key element in our plan to build a nation-leading, best-practice approach to young people in conflict with the law," he said in a statement.
"We know that detention does not support rehabilitation or reduce the likelihood of reoffending for younger children.
"Early exposure to a detention environment can also further traumatise young people, expose them to problem behaviours of older detainees and increase criminal networks."
Mr Jaensch noted the minimum age of detention was separate to the age of criminal responsibility, which is set at 10 years nationwide.
"As our attorney-general ... has said, it is our preference for a nationally consistent position on the minimum age of criminal responsibility," he said.
He said police powers related to arresting, searching and detaining young people aged 10 and over for the purposes of investigating crime would remain.
"There will always be a need for secure detention as a last resort for a very small minority of young people who commit the most serious offences, and to ensure community safety," Mr Jaensch said.
"This change will help ensure that the detention of young people in Tasmania is truly a last resort."
Tasmania's youth justice system has been in the spotlight in recent years, with historical abuse allegations levelled at staff at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre.
The government in September announced the centre would close within three years and be replaced by two new facilities. It has promised current detainees are safe.
Mr Jaensch said legislative reform to reduce the minimum detention age would occur in line with a suite of reforms, anticipated to occur in late 2024.
He has pledged additional options to divert young people away from the formal court system, a broader range of community-based sentencing options, plus trauma-informed, therapeutic and restorative interventions for high-risk young offenders.
