An additional $4.4 million in funding will continue 15 Youth Crime Prevention Grant projects that provide important supports to young people to prevent engagement with the justice system.

Eight projects funded through the directed stream will each receive an additional $350,000 to extend their projects for another 12 months to 30 June 2022. Project locations are Ballarat, Casey, Frankston, Geelong, Greater Dandenong, Hume, Latrobe and Wyndham.

Seven projects funded through the competitive stream will receive additional funding to extend their projects for another 12 months. The projects are spread across Horsham, Bendigo, Brimbank, Melton, Mildura, East Gippsland and Shepparton.

These partnership projects are an important source of support for young people and their families as the community recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding is being delivered through the Youth Crime Prevention Grants program which aims to address offending behaviour and recidivism among young people who have had contact with, or are at risk of involvement with, the criminal justice system.