❓ Dr. Buti asks about the success of the Youth in Emergency Services cadet program at Banksia Hill Detention Centre. The Minister for Corrective Services details the program's aims to teach volunteering and give back to the community, highlighting its connection to broader stability achieved at the facility.
AnsweredQoN 516Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BANKSIA HILL DETENTION
CENTRE — YOUTH IN EMERGENCY SERVICES CADET PROGRAM
516. Dr A.D. BUTI to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's success in bringing order back to Banksia Hill Detention Centre
and helping juvenile detainees to break the cycle of offending.
Can the minister update the house on
how this government's Youth in Emergency Services cadet program is
further supporting stability at Banksia Hill and further helping detainees in
their efforts to turn their lives around?
CENTRE — YOUTH IN EMERGENCY SERVICES CADET PROGRAM
516. Dr A.D. BUTI to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's success in bringing order back to Banksia Hill Detention Centre
and helping juvenile detainees to break the cycle of offending.
Can the minister update the house on
how this government's Youth in Emergency Services cadet program is
further supporting stability at Banksia Hill and further helping detainees in
their efforts to turn their lives around?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Armadale. The
member for Armadale is a member of Parliament who has always been totally
committed to assisting young people who find themselves in a life of crime.
Thank you very much, member for Armadale.
I inform the house that I recently
attended the graduation of nine participants in the first ever Youth in
Emergency Services program at Banksia Hill. This is yet another program that
the McGowan government has introduced in order to turn around the lives of
young people in Banksia Hill and try to set them on a path of reform—a
path that does not involve reoffending.
The Youth in Emergency Services
program was an idea of both Commissioner Klemm from the Department of Fire and
Emergency Services, and Commissioner Hassall from the Department of Corrective
Services, who spoke at length about the Army Cadets program at Banksia Hill.
Commissioner Klemm indicated that a fire and emergency services cadets program
could also assist those young people out there.
The
difference between the Army Cadets program that we have in place and this one
is that, by teaching young people these skills and then sending them back into
the community, we teach them about volunteering. The concept of volunteering is
one that many of these young people have never experienced before. The whole
point of this program is to give those young people the idea that it is
possible to give back to the community from which they have taken. They have
taken things from the community; that is the reason they are in Banksia Hill.
The concept of this cadet program is about volunteering, so that they can
understand about giving back to the community. It is something that these young
people have embraced. Remember that this comes about only because of the
stability we have achieved at Banksia Hill. When we achieved government in
March 2017, because of the behaviour of the previous government and the
numerous mistakes it had made in youth corrections, we ended up with overcrowding
and a significant deterioration of behaviour at Banksia Hill, to the point that
we had the May 2017 riot, which resulted in $1.6 million worth of damage to the
facility. The special operations group was out there every single week trying
to keep order in that facility. That had gone on since 2013—since the
closure of Rangeview Remand Centre and the pushing of those young people from
Rangeview into Banksia Hill. We said in this house that that would result in
riots, and that is exactly what occurred. Since that point in time, we have
achieved stability, and as a result of that we have been able to introduce the
Army Cadet program; we have introduced the career expos; we have introduced the
Banksia Beans Cafe, at which the
young people are going through their barista courses; and, of course, now we
have achieved the Youth in Emergency
Services program.
I inform the house finally that the
way in which we have achieved stability in Banksia Hill comes down to having
the right people there—the staff who are absolutely committed—and
the way they have changed the operating model so we have a new structured day;
a progressive model of care for young offenders; a revamp of education
services, including the appointment of a principal; reinforced support for the
facility; the upskilling of staff; the appointment of an experienced management
team, as I said; and the appointment of a deputy commissioner for young people
to drive cultural change. We are making very good steps at Banksia Hill and
this cadet program is a great example of what we are doing.
member for Armadale is a member of Parliament who has always been totally
committed to assisting young people who find themselves in a life of crime.
Thank you very much, member for Armadale.
I inform the house that I recently
attended the graduation of nine participants in the first ever Youth in
Emergency Services program at Banksia Hill. This is yet another program that
the McGowan government has introduced in order to turn around the lives of
young people in Banksia Hill and try to set them on a path of reform—a
path that does not involve reoffending.
The Youth in Emergency Services
program was an idea of both Commissioner Klemm from the Department of Fire and
Emergency Services, and Commissioner Hassall from the Department of Corrective
Services, who spoke at length about the Army Cadets program at Banksia Hill.
Commissioner Klemm indicated that a fire and emergency services cadets program
could also assist those young people out there.
The
difference between the Army Cadets program that we have in place and this one
is that, by teaching young people these skills and then sending them back into
the community, we teach them about volunteering. The concept of volunteering is
one that many of these young people have never experienced before. The whole
point of this program is to give those young people the idea that it is
possible to give back to the community from which they have taken. They have
taken things from the community; that is the reason they are in Banksia Hill.
The concept of this cadet program is about volunteering, so that they can
understand about giving back to the community. It is something that these young
people have embraced. Remember that this comes about only because of the
stability we have achieved at Banksia Hill. When we achieved government in
March 2017, because of the behaviour of the previous government and the
numerous mistakes it had made in youth corrections, we ended up with overcrowding
and a significant deterioration of behaviour at Banksia Hill, to the point that
we had the May 2017 riot, which resulted in $1.6 million worth of damage to the
facility. The special operations group was out there every single week trying
to keep order in that facility. That had gone on since 2013—since the
closure of Rangeview Remand Centre and the pushing of those young people from
Rangeview into Banksia Hill. We said in this house that that would result in
riots, and that is exactly what occurred. Since that point in time, we have
achieved stability, and as a result of that we have been able to introduce the
Army Cadet program; we have introduced the career expos; we have introduced the
Banksia Beans Cafe, at which the
young people are going through their barista courses; and, of course, now we
have achieved the Youth in Emergency
Services program.
I inform the house finally that the
way in which we have achieved stability in Banksia Hill comes down to having
the right people there—the staff who are absolutely committed—and
the way they have changed the operating model so we have a new structured day;
a progressive model of care for young offenders; a revamp of education
services, including the appointment of a principal; reinforced support for the
facility; the upskilling of staff; the appointment of an experienced management
team, as I said; and the appointment of a deputy commissioner for young people
to drive cultural change. We are making very good steps at Banksia Hill and
this cadet program is a great example of what we are doing.
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