❓ The Minister for Corrective Services defends the use of Unit 18, citing the challenging behaviour of a small cohort of detainees and the lack of suitable alternatives after riots at Banksia Hill. He outlines measures being taken to improve juvenile detention, including infrastructure review, increased staffing, and enhanced health and mentoring programs.
AnsweredQoN 798Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
YOUTH
DETENTION — UNIT 18, CASUARINA PRISON
798. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I
refer to the minister's admission that unit 18 is not fit for purpose
and his quotes in an ABC article that it is ''not yet what I want it to
be'' and ''There's a small cohort for whom we don't
currently have infrastructure that's suitable''. Given that the
government ignored repeated warnings that the children incarcerated in unit 18
experience intolerable levels of distress and that the death of Cleveland Dodd
was entirely preventable, will he move to immediately close this facility?
DETENTION — UNIT 18, CASUARINA PRISON
798. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I
refer to the minister's admission that unit 18 is not fit for purpose
and his quotes in an ABC article that it is ''not yet what I want it to
be'' and ''There's a small cohort for whom we don't
currently have infrastructure that's suitable''. Given that the
government ignored repeated warnings that the children incarcerated in unit 18
experience intolerable levels of distress and that the death of Cleveland Dodd
was entirely preventable, will he move to immediately close this facility?
AnswerView source ↗
With regard to warnings, member, I will
refer to one that came from the Liberal Party spokesperson. In a 1 January
article on ABC online news—the interview was also played on the
television news, I believe—the relevant spokesperson said —
''We have seen a litany of
issues at Banksia Hill Detention Centre which shows that that facility is
simply not working,'' �
The opposition wants us to shut
unit 18 and return its detainees to Banksia Hill Detention Centre. The question
is: which set of advice from the Leader of the Liberal Party should I be taking—shutting
unit 18 today or shutting Banksia Hill, as was called for in January? We
confront a situation that we inherited in many respects. Again, referencing
advice, I was there in 2012 when the former Liberal–National government
shut Rangeview Remand Centre. I was there. Google it; I had something to say
about it. I suggested to the government at the time that it may regret doing
that and that we would see a deterioration in the one remaining detention
facility, and I was right. We are confronted with a situation now in which over
the last decade or so, there has been a significant shift in one cohort of
detainees. It is a relatively small cohort. Today, it is about 10. It is not 10
in unit 18. Meanwhile, there are about 66 other detainees in Banksia Hill. That
small cohort of around 10 is extremely challenging. They are challenging,
complex and frequently very, very dangerous. They would disrupt everybody else
if they were in Banksia Hill. They would be a threat to themselves, other
juvenile detainees and staff. In the 12 months to June this year, there were
459 assaults on staff in juvenile detention facilities. That is not acceptable.
The Premier and I announced a range
of measures in June in our response to juvenile detention. Firstly, we have
conducted a review into juvenile infrastructure. We have announced the intent
to bring on more staff, including prison officers, in the near term to provide
additional safety. We have engaged with an Aboriginal health provider to
enhance even further health provision inside the facility. We are talking to
Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service about that. We are talking to Telethon Kids
Institute about getting it back into the detention estate to assist and renew
its research. We are very much focused on having it provide us with tailored
solutions for individuals. We are creating an Aboriginal mentor scheme of elders
and younger people to mentor staff and juveniles. Also, we announced a very
focused policy with respect to moving juveniles between unit 18, which is more
secure and an Australian standard maximum security men's unit inside
Casuarina Prison, and Banksia Hill. We have said that we will refrain from
shuttling detainees backwards and forwards. There is a still a process by which
they can move back if they are assessed by a multidisciplinary team, but for
their safety and the safety of everybody else, it is necessary that they have a suitable facility. That is all we have got.
After the May riots, during which one-quarter of the buildings were
burnt down, there is no alternative. If we move them back into the population
at Banksia Hill, it would be disruptive and dangerous for other juveniles and
staff.
refer to one that came from the Liberal Party spokesperson. In a 1 January
article on ABC online news—the interview was also played on the
television news, I believe—the relevant spokesperson said —
''We have seen a litany of
issues at Banksia Hill Detention Centre which shows that that facility is
simply not working,'' �
The opposition wants us to shut
unit 18 and return its detainees to Banksia Hill Detention Centre. The question
is: which set of advice from the Leader of the Liberal Party should I be taking—shutting
unit 18 today or shutting Banksia Hill, as was called for in January? We
confront a situation that we inherited in many respects. Again, referencing
advice, I was there in 2012 when the former Liberal–National government
shut Rangeview Remand Centre. I was there. Google it; I had something to say
about it. I suggested to the government at the time that it may regret doing
that and that we would see a deterioration in the one remaining detention
facility, and I was right. We are confronted with a situation now in which over
the last decade or so, there has been a significant shift in one cohort of
detainees. It is a relatively small cohort. Today, it is about 10. It is not 10
in unit 18. Meanwhile, there are about 66 other detainees in Banksia Hill. That
small cohort of around 10 is extremely challenging. They are challenging,
complex and frequently very, very dangerous. They would disrupt everybody else
if they were in Banksia Hill. They would be a threat to themselves, other
juvenile detainees and staff. In the 12 months to June this year, there were
459 assaults on staff in juvenile detention facilities. That is not acceptable.
The Premier and I announced a range
of measures in June in our response to juvenile detention. Firstly, we have
conducted a review into juvenile infrastructure. We have announced the intent
to bring on more staff, including prison officers, in the near term to provide
additional safety. We have engaged with an Aboriginal health provider to
enhance even further health provision inside the facility. We are talking to
Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service about that. We are talking to Telethon Kids
Institute about getting it back into the detention estate to assist and renew
its research. We are very much focused on having it provide us with tailored
solutions for individuals. We are creating an Aboriginal mentor scheme of elders
and younger people to mentor staff and juveniles. Also, we announced a very
focused policy with respect to moving juveniles between unit 18, which is more
secure and an Australian standard maximum security men's unit inside
Casuarina Prison, and Banksia Hill. We have said that we will refrain from
shuttling detainees backwards and forwards. There is a still a process by which
they can move back if they are assessed by a multidisciplinary team, but for
their safety and the safety of everybody else, it is necessary that they have a suitable facility. That is all we have got.
After the May riots, during which one-quarter of the buildings were
burnt down, there is no alternative. If we move them back into the population
at Banksia Hill, it would be disruptive and dangerous for other juveniles and
staff.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.