Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Corrective Services regarding conditions at Banksia Hill Detention Centre, citing concerns of child abuse and potential contempt of court. The Minister deflects by referencing past statements and reports, accusing the questioner of attacking staff.

AnsweredQoN 687Legislative Assembly
Asked
15 November 2022
Portfolio
Corrective Services

QuestionView source ↗

BANKSIA HILL DETENTION CENTRE — FOUR CORNERS REPORT
687. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I have a supplementary question.
Practices at Banksia Hill Detention Centre have been likened to child abuse and
deemed unlawful. The centre is at risk of being in contempt of court. Does the
minister stand by his comments that he has achieved a much better environment
for everybody?

AnswerView source ↗

I will remind the member of what
Terry Redman said in the media on 8 October 2011 —
Corrective
Services Minister Terry Redman said the call to shut juvenile detention centres
was ''nonsense in the extreme''.
Mr Redman said the centres were
needed to ensure the safety of the general community by isolating violent
offenders.
He rejected claims of excessive
violence within the centres.
In 2012, the Office of the Inspector
of Custodial Services tabled its seventy-sixth report, which detailed a series
of unreasonable practices by the Liberal–National government in that
detention centre. Again, I remind the member that the Office of the Inspector
of Custodial Services in April last year tabled a report detailing that Banksia
Hill was in good condition. On a number of occasions,
I have said why that ceased to be the case. The idea that you can just
come in here, invent nonsense, attack the staff of the centre, tell them that
you do not support them —
Several members interjected.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : You say
that their safety is not important; I am not going to have that.

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