Mr. Watson questions the Minister for Corrective Services about plans for a juvenile remand centre in Albany, highlighting the cost of transporting young offenders to Perth. The Minister deflects, suggesting the Attorney General is more appropriate and discusses resource allocation for young offenders.

AnsweredQoN 81Legislative Assembly
Asked
24 February 2011
Portfolio
Corrective Services

QuestionView source ↗

juvenile REMAND CENTRE — GREAT SOUTHERN
I have a supplementary question. The minister is saying that we have to stop them early on. But this child was picked up only for breaking a curfew. This young person had to go to Perth, it cost a lot of money for the government, and there were two police officers who had to go up, the charter of — The SPEAKER : I need to have a question, member. Mr P.B. WATSON : I am just giving the question — The SPEAKER : I do not need a preamble in a supplementary; I just need a question. Mr P.B. WATSON : Has the government got any plans for a remand centre in Albany? Mr D.T. REDMAN

AnswerView source ↗

The first part of the member’s preamble sort of related to the charge that was put there. That is not something that falls under my jurisdiction as the Minister for Corrective Services; it is probably more appropriately directed to the Attorney General in terms of the law part of it and the decisions that are made around the law. Once offenders come into detention, yes, the member is quite right that they get picked up by Corrective Services. That is not a decision that I have looked at now. Certainly, I am having a very close look at the state’s resourcing in dealing with our young offenders. We have made some very, very significant investments. I support what the Attorney General did when he was Minister for Corrective Services and the very good work in putting those resources in place. We need to appropriately deploy those resources to get the best outcome. There is always going to be a challenge in regional areas. Where we can, we have directed those resources to try to keep those people out in the regions, particularly the Indigenous offenders, where we can keep them in country, rather than having to take them out of that situation. Hopefully, we can set up programs that actually divert people from our detention centres.
The SPEAKER : I need to have a question, member. Mr P.B. WATSON : I am just giving the question — The SPEAKER : I do not need a preamble in a supplementary; I just need a question. Mr P.B. WATSON : Has the government got any plans for a remand centre in Albany? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: The first part of the member’s preamble sort of related to the charge that was put there. That is not something that falls under my jurisdiction as the Minister for Corrective Services; it is probably more appropriately directed to the Attorney General in terms of the law part of it and the decisions that are made around the law. Once offenders come into detention, yes, the member is quite right that they get picked up by Corrective Services. That is not a decision that I have looked at now. Certainly, I am having a very close look at the state’s resourcing in dealing with our young offenders. We have made some very, very significant investments. I support what the Attorney General did when he was Minister for Corrective Services and the very good work in putting those resources in place. We need to appropriately deploy those resources to get the best outcome. There is always going to be a challenge in regional areas. Where we can, we have directed those resources to try to keep those people out in the regions, particularly the Indigenous offenders, where we can keep them in country, rather than having to take them out of that situation. Hopefully, we can set up programs that actually divert people from our detention centres.
Mr P.B. WATSON : I am just giving the question — The SPEAKER : I do not need a preamble in a supplementary; I just need a question. Mr P.B. WATSON : Has the government got any plans for a remand centre in Albany? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: The first part of the member’s preamble sort of related to the charge that was put there. That is not something that falls under my jurisdiction as the Minister for Corrective Services; it is probably more appropriately directed to the Attorney General in terms of the law part of it and the decisions that are made around the law. Once offenders come into detention, yes, the member is quite right that they get picked up by Corrective Services. That is not a decision that I have looked at now. Certainly, I am having a very close look at the state’s resourcing in dealing with our young offenders. We have made some very, very significant investments. I support what the Attorney General did when he was Minister for Corrective Services and the very good work in putting those resources in place. We need to appropriately deploy those resources to get the best outcome. There is always going to be a challenge in regional areas. Where we can, we have directed those resources to try to keep those people out in the regions, particularly the Indigenous offenders, where we can keep them in country, rather than having to take them out of that situation. Hopefully, we can set up programs that actually divert people from our detention centres.
The SPEAKER : I do not need a preamble in a supplementary; I just need a question. Mr P.B. WATSON : Has the government got any plans for a remand centre in Albany? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: The first part of the member’s preamble sort of related to the charge that was put there. That is not something that falls under my jurisdiction as the Minister for Corrective Services; it is probably more appropriately directed to the Attorney General in terms of the law part of it and the decisions that are made around the law. Once offenders come into detention, yes, the member is quite right that they get picked up by Corrective Services. That is not a decision that I have looked at now. Certainly, I am having a very close look at the state’s resourcing in dealing with our young offenders. We have made some very, very significant investments. I support what the Attorney General did when he was Minister for Corrective Services and the very good work in putting those resources in place. We need to appropriately deploy those resources to get the best outcome. There is always going to be a challenge in regional areas. Where we can, we have directed those resources to try to keep those people out in the regions, particularly the Indigenous offenders, where we can keep them in country, rather than having to take them out of that situation. Hopefully, we can set up programs that actually divert people from our detention centres.
Mr P.B. WATSON : Has the government got any plans for a remand centre in Albany? Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: The first part of the member’s preamble sort of related to the charge that was put there. That is not something that falls under my jurisdiction as the Minister for Corrective Services; it is probably more appropriately directed to the Attorney General in terms of the law part of it and the decisions that are made around the law. Once offenders come into detention, yes, the member is quite right that they get picked up by Corrective Services. That is not a decision that I have looked at now. Certainly, I am having a very close look at the state’s resourcing in dealing with our young offenders. We have made some very, very significant investments. I support what the Attorney General did when he was Minister for Corrective Services and the very good work in putting those resources in place. We need to appropriately deploy those resources to get the best outcome. There is always going to be a challenge in regional areas. Where we can, we have directed those resources to try to keep those people out in the regions, particularly the Indigenous offenders, where we can keep them in country, rather than having to take them out of that situation. Hopefully, we can set up programs that actually divert people from our detention centres.
Mr D.T. REDMAN replied: The first part of the member’s preamble sort of related to the charge that was put there. That is not something that falls under my jurisdiction as the Minister for Corrective Services; it is probably more appropriately directed to the Attorney General in terms of the law part of it and the decisions that are made around the law. Once offenders come into detention, yes, the member is quite right that they get picked up by Corrective Services. That is not a decision that I have looked at now. Certainly, I am having a very close look at the state’s resourcing in dealing with our young offenders. We have made some very, very significant investments. I support what the Attorney General did when he was Minister for Corrective Services and the very good work in putting those resources in place. We need to appropriately deploy those resources to get the best outcome. There is always going to be a challenge in regional areas. Where we can, we have directed those resources to try to keep those people out in the regions, particularly the Indigenous offenders, where we can keep them in country, rather than having to take them out of that situation. Hopefully, we can set up programs that actually divert people from our detention centres.
The first part of the member’s preamble sort of related to the charge that was put there. That is not something that falls under my jurisdiction as the Minister for Corrective Services; it is probably more appropriately directed to the Attorney General in terms of the law part of it and the decisions that are made around the law. Once offenders come into detention, yes, the member is quite right that they get picked up by Corrective Services. That is not a decision that I have looked at now. Certainly, I am having a very close look at the state’s resourcing in dealing with our young offenders. We have made some very, very significant investments. I support what the Attorney General did when he was Minister for Corrective Services and the very good work in putting those resources in place. We need to appropriately deploy those resources to get the best outcome. There is always going to be a challenge in regional areas. Where we can, we have directed those resources to try to keep those people out in the regions, particularly the Indigenous offenders, where we can keep them in country, rather than having to take them out of that situation. Hopefully, we can set up programs that actually divert people from our detention centres.
I support what the Attorney General did when he was Minister for Corrective Services and the very good work in putting those resources in place. We need to appropriately deploy those resources to get the best outcome. There is always going to be a challenge in regional areas. Where we can, we have directed those resources to try to keep those people out in the regions, particularly the Indigenous offenders, where we can keep them in country, rather than having to take them out of that situation. Hopefully, we can set up programs that actually divert people from our detention centres.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more