❓ The Minister for Corrective Services details a new youth transitional accommodation program at Driscoll Drive near Hakea Prison for young offenders without safe housing upon release, aiming to reduce reoffending and provide necessary support.
AnsweredQoN 917Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
YOUNG
OFFENDERS — SUPERVISED RELEASE
917. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
Can the minister provide the house
with details of the initiative that is helping young offenders who do not have
a safe place to stay after being released from detention?
OFFENDERS — SUPERVISED RELEASE
917. Mr M.H. TAYLOR to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
Can the minister provide the house
with details of the initiative that is helping young offenders who do not have
a safe place to stay after being released from detention?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bateman for
his question on such an important issue. As was highlighted in the Supervised
Release Review Board's annual report, about 20 per cent of young
offenders in custody, unfortunately, for a number of different reasons cannot
be released on supervision because they have no place to go because they come
from dysfunctional families, they have absent parents who cannot be found, they
do not have a suitable guardian or their families are rife with domestic
violence or sexual abuse. That makes for difficult situations for the
Supervised Release Review Board, which is similar to a parole board for
juveniles, and that is why we have come up with a way to address the issue.
It is only fair that all young kids
are treated equally whether or not they have a functional family to go to. It
is only fair that we try to set them up for success when they are released,
rather than keeping them until their last possible day at the expiration of
their sentence. Without transition supports, training and education in the real
world, they are almost destined and doomed to go back into the judicial system.
Certainly, I do not think it is fair to send them back to a dysfunctional
family because we can be guaranteed that they will be back in front of a judge
again. That is why the initiative to set up the accommodation program at
Driscoll Drive near Hakea Prison—we call it the youth transitional
accommodation program—is so important. The same requirements will apply
to these kids as would apply to kids who would otherwise be released on
supervision orders, whether that be drug and alcohol testing, curfews,
attendance or education. Regardless of what the requirements are, they will be
managed in a large degree similar to the way that Child Protection runs its
program; that is, they will have two full-time staff and all the support that
they need. Obviously, if they break the conditions of their supervised release
order, just as if they were released into family care, they will be back in
front of Justice Murray and the Supervised Release Review Board.
It is important that we realise that
this is the right thing to do; it is not about money or the costs. This is
morally the right thing to do, but it will without doubt be a little bit
cheaper. It costs about $1 million to keep five to seven kids a year. That
seems like a lot, but when we weigh in the fact that there is a minimum of two
staff 24/7, it is far cheaper than keeping them in custody at Banksia Hill
Detention Centre. Certainly if we can reduce the reoffending rate, that means
fewer victims, less crime and it also means long-term savings for taxpayers if
some of those kids do not go back into the justice system.
I take this opportunity to thank the
Youth Justice Board and Justice Murray for their support. The Youth Justice
Board is a government board whose members do not get paid; rather, they do
these things out of the goodness of their heart because they want to make a real
difference to the lives of significantly troubled young people. I think it is
worth noting the contribution they make. I thank them for their support.
his question on such an important issue. As was highlighted in the Supervised
Release Review Board's annual report, about 20 per cent of young
offenders in custody, unfortunately, for a number of different reasons cannot
be released on supervision because they have no place to go because they come
from dysfunctional families, they have absent parents who cannot be found, they
do not have a suitable guardian or their families are rife with domestic
violence or sexual abuse. That makes for difficult situations for the
Supervised Release Review Board, which is similar to a parole board for
juveniles, and that is why we have come up with a way to address the issue.
It is only fair that all young kids
are treated equally whether or not they have a functional family to go to. It
is only fair that we try to set them up for success when they are released,
rather than keeping them until their last possible day at the expiration of
their sentence. Without transition supports, training and education in the real
world, they are almost destined and doomed to go back into the judicial system.
Certainly, I do not think it is fair to send them back to a dysfunctional
family because we can be guaranteed that they will be back in front of a judge
again. That is why the initiative to set up the accommodation program at
Driscoll Drive near Hakea Prison—we call it the youth transitional
accommodation program—is so important. The same requirements will apply
to these kids as would apply to kids who would otherwise be released on
supervision orders, whether that be drug and alcohol testing, curfews,
attendance or education. Regardless of what the requirements are, they will be
managed in a large degree similar to the way that Child Protection runs its
program; that is, they will have two full-time staff and all the support that
they need. Obviously, if they break the conditions of their supervised release
order, just as if they were released into family care, they will be back in
front of Justice Murray and the Supervised Release Review Board.
It is important that we realise that
this is the right thing to do; it is not about money or the costs. This is
morally the right thing to do, but it will without doubt be a little bit
cheaper. It costs about $1 million to keep five to seven kids a year. That
seems like a lot, but when we weigh in the fact that there is a minimum of two
staff 24/7, it is far cheaper than keeping them in custody at Banksia Hill
Detention Centre. Certainly if we can reduce the reoffending rate, that means
fewer victims, less crime and it also means long-term savings for taxpayers if
some of those kids do not go back into the justice system.
I take this opportunity to thank the
Youth Justice Board and Justice Murray for their support. The Youth Justice
Board is a government board whose members do not get paid; rather, they do
these things out of the goodness of their heart because they want to make a real
difference to the lives of significantly troubled young people. I think it is
worth noting the contribution they make. I thank them for their support.
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