❓ A question regarding the Department of Corrective Services' efforts to reduce Aboriginal incarceration rates for young offenders. The Minister outlines initiatives undertaken and claims a reduction in juvenile incarceration since 2008, sparking interjections and debate.
AnsweredQoN 914Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INDIGENOUS
INCARCERATION RATES
914. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
This government has made a strong commitment to reducing
Aboriginal incarceration. Can the minister please outline what the Department
of Corrective Services is doing to meet this commitment for young offenders,
and what results are being achieved?
INCARCERATION RATES
914. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
This government has made a strong commitment to reducing
Aboriginal incarceration. Can the minister please outline what the Department
of Corrective Services is doing to meet this commitment for young offenders,
and what results are being achieved?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield for his question; this is
a really important issue. In fact, it has been my personal key priority since
the day I became the minister. I remember on the day I became a minister doing
a press conference on the steps of Government House, and I was asked what my
key priority was as the Minister for Corrective Services, and I said that it
would be to address the rates of Aboriginal incarceration in Western Australia
and, in particular, the rate of juvenile males who are incarcerated in this
state.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
That is my key priority and it is worth reflecting on how we have done that in
the last couple of years. It started with a leadership change at the Department
of Corrective Services. It was very overdue and was howled down by the
opposition at the time. It started by establishing the Youth Justice Board to
look at new ways of providing youth justice services in Western Australia.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro!
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
always said that if the government kept doing things the same way, it would
keep getting the same results.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
We gave $4 million of initial seed capital to the Youth Justice Innovation Fund
so that the Youth Justice Board could look at providing real tangible solutions
to address the issue of Aboriginal juvenile incarcerations in Western
Australia. Since then, we have seen some great contracts going out to
organisations such as the Wirrpanda Foundation for longitudinal mentoring, the
Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia for the court support program,
and partnering with the Telethon Kids Institute to try to find a significant
and strong foetal alcohol spectrum disorder screening tool. I am always
reluctant to use the population numbers, because I understand and admit that
they can fluctuate and change. The day the government changed in 2008—keep
in mind that although about 40 per cent of the adult prison population is
Indigenous —
Mr P. Papalia :
Forty-five per cent growth!
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
About 40 per cent. It is not the member for Warnbro's question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I am just telling you now, calm down.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
Forty per cent of the adult prison population is Indigenous; in the juvenile
estate, it is almost 90 per cent. So when I look at the numbers and how they
have changed, in 2008 when the government changed, there were 157 juveniles
incarcerated in Western Australia. In early 2013—about the time of the
riot at Banksia Hill—there were around 220; today, it is about 130,
132. We have made significant inroads in reducing the number of young
Aboriginal males in the prisons in Western Australia. In fact, we are at one of
the lowest records that we have seen —
Mr P. Papalia :
Adults?
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
said juveniles.
Mr P. Papalia : You
said ''young Aboriginal males''.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
Juveniles—juveniles!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you. Member for Warnbro! Right, a quick answer.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
What I will say is that the numbers we are at now as far as Aboriginal male—and
female for that matter—in juvenile detention in Western Australia is
far lower than it was when the Labor Party lost government in 2008, so members
opposite have absolutely nothing to be proud of either—they have
absolutely nothing to be proud of. We have a better record in this area than
the Labor Party ever had.
In closing, can I say that these things do not happen without
the efforts of a lot of very dedicated people. The Youth Justice Board —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
The Youth Justice Board is made up of a team of very dedicated volunteers. They
are not paid, like other government committee members are paid; they are
volunteers. They are doing a wonderful job and they are obviously getting some
great results, and I want to thank them all personally for their efforts.
a really important issue. In fact, it has been my personal key priority since
the day I became the minister. I remember on the day I became a minister doing
a press conference on the steps of Government House, and I was asked what my
key priority was as the Minister for Corrective Services, and I said that it
would be to address the rates of Aboriginal incarceration in Western Australia
and, in particular, the rate of juvenile males who are incarcerated in this
state.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
That is my key priority and it is worth reflecting on how we have done that in
the last couple of years. It started with a leadership change at the Department
of Corrective Services. It was very overdue and was howled down by the
opposition at the time. It started by establishing the Youth Justice Board to
look at new ways of providing youth justice services in Western Australia.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro!
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
always said that if the government kept doing things the same way, it would
keep getting the same results.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
We gave $4 million of initial seed capital to the Youth Justice Innovation Fund
so that the Youth Justice Board could look at providing real tangible solutions
to address the issue of Aboriginal juvenile incarcerations in Western
Australia. Since then, we have seen some great contracts going out to
organisations such as the Wirrpanda Foundation for longitudinal mentoring, the
Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia for the court support program,
and partnering with the Telethon Kids Institute to try to find a significant
and strong foetal alcohol spectrum disorder screening tool. I am always
reluctant to use the population numbers, because I understand and admit that
they can fluctuate and change. The day the government changed in 2008—keep
in mind that although about 40 per cent of the adult prison population is
Indigenous —
Mr P. Papalia :
Forty-five per cent growth!
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
About 40 per cent. It is not the member for Warnbro's question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I am just telling you now, calm down.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
Forty per cent of the adult prison population is Indigenous; in the juvenile
estate, it is almost 90 per cent. So when I look at the numbers and how they
have changed, in 2008 when the government changed, there were 157 juveniles
incarcerated in Western Australia. In early 2013—about the time of the
riot at Banksia Hill—there were around 220; today, it is about 130,
132. We have made significant inroads in reducing the number of young
Aboriginal males in the prisons in Western Australia. In fact, we are at one of
the lowest records that we have seen —
Mr P. Papalia :
Adults?
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
said juveniles.
Mr P. Papalia : You
said ''young Aboriginal males''.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
Juveniles—juveniles!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you. Member for Warnbro! Right, a quick answer.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
What I will say is that the numbers we are at now as far as Aboriginal male—and
female for that matter—in juvenile detention in Western Australia is
far lower than it was when the Labor Party lost government in 2008, so members
opposite have absolutely nothing to be proud of either—they have
absolutely nothing to be proud of. We have a better record in this area than
the Labor Party ever had.
In closing, can I say that these things do not happen without
the efforts of a lot of very dedicated people. The Youth Justice Board —
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS :
The Youth Justice Board is made up of a team of very dedicated volunteers. They
are not paid, like other government committee members are paid; they are
volunteers. They are doing a wonderful job and they are obviously getting some
great results, and I want to thank them all personally for their efforts.
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