Home detention, not jail, for youths: SA

More home detention could be the key to saving young people from a life of crime, the South Australian Government says.

A draft Youth Justice Bill released on Tuesday proposes increased home detention rates and early release options to help get young offenders back on track.

"It also deals with the issue of people over the age of 18 in youth detention, including setting a maximum age of 21, periodical reviews of individual cases and measures to prevent offenders returning to youth detention once they have served time in an adult prison," Communities and Social Inclusion Minister Zoe Bettison said.