❓ Mr Blayney asks about initiatives to reduce Aboriginal youth recidivism in the Kimberley. The Minister outlines the Yiriman youth diversion program, the Kimberley corrections plan, and the decision to keep Broome Regional Prison open.
AnsweredQoN 395Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
INSPECTOR
OF CUSTODIAL SERVICES — WEST KIMBERLEY REGIONAL PRISON
395. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
The Inspector of Custodial Services has recently been in the
media stating that he is impressed with the operations of West Kimberley
Regional Prison. Can the minister please outline to the house any other
initiatives that this government is delivering to reduce recidivism of
Aboriginals, especially the youth in the Kimberley?
OF CUSTODIAL SERVICES — WEST KIMBERLEY REGIONAL PRISON
395. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Corrective Services:
The Inspector of Custodial Services has recently been in the
media stating that he is impressed with the operations of West Kimberley
Regional Prison. Can the minister please outline to the house any other
initiatives that this government is delivering to reduce recidivism of
Aboriginals, especially the youth in the Kimberley?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank you, member for Geraldton. ''Recidivism''
is a difficult word. We just say ''repeat offending'' these days!
I start by acknowledging the
wonderful team out at West Kimberley Regional Prison and the work they do and
the brilliant results they are getting in helping to rehabilitate people in the
Kimberley, in particular the Aboriginal people up there. It is obviously something
that has been recognised by the Inspector of Custodial Services, Professor Neil
Morgan, as something that is working very well. I have been there, I know that
a number of members have been there to visit that facility and I think the
Premier himself has been up there. As far as prisons go, it is one of the
better ones when it comes to getting results.
Several members interjected.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : If members do not mind, I also acknowledge the member for
Kimberley for the work she did on preparing a paper recently. Some of the
recommendations in that report are being seriously considered by the Department
of Corrective Services and the Youth Justice Board.
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro!
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
have said a number of times that if we keep doing things the same way, we will
keep getting the same results, which is exactly why we established the Youth
Justice Board and gave it seed funding. That is exactly why the Youth Justice
Board—I am pleased to announce—has provided, and will provide,
a grant of $220 000 a year for the next two years to the Kimberley Aboriginal
Law and Cultural Centre to operate the Yiriman youth diversion program. We all
know that a lot of the just under 160 juveniles out at Banksia Hill are
Aboriginal kids from the Kimberley. I think it is very important that we start
to target as a priority some of the issues and some of the ways we can keep
them out of there. The Yiriman youth diversion program will link youth with
Aboriginal elders, provide diversion treks with elders, provide a six-week
caring for country program, and provide valuable work experience for young
Aboriginal children, supported by Kimberley Community Alcohol and Drug
Services. It will also assist young people to address their offending
behaviours, and, hopefully, further reduce our incarceration rate for juvenile
Aboriginals in particular from the Kimberley. The Department of Corrective
Services is finalising a Kimberley corrections plan that will adopt a holistic
approach to community corrections and custodial corrections in the Kimberley.
Lastly—this is the key point—a number of
years ago, when I became the minister, the previous Commissioner for Corrective
Services had determined that the future of Broome Regional Prison was that it would
be closed. I went there and looked at it. In fact, the member for Kimberley was
with me at the time and she outlined a number of concerns that she had about
closing that prison. I can confirm to the house that it is the intention to
keep Broome Regional Prison open. It is currently being used primarily as a
remand facility. We will outline in the very near future exactly what the
requirements of that facility will be, moving forward, but it is now the
intention of the Department of Corrective Services to keep that facility open.
I think it is very important that we help rehabilitate people as much as
possible, and that includes the use of that facility. As I said, I thank the
member for Kimberley for her input to that.
is a difficult word. We just say ''repeat offending'' these days!
I start by acknowledging the
wonderful team out at West Kimberley Regional Prison and the work they do and
the brilliant results they are getting in helping to rehabilitate people in the
Kimberley, in particular the Aboriginal people up there. It is obviously something
that has been recognised by the Inspector of Custodial Services, Professor Neil
Morgan, as something that is working very well. I have been there, I know that
a number of members have been there to visit that facility and I think the
Premier himself has been up there. As far as prisons go, it is one of the
better ones when it comes to getting results.
Several members interjected.
Mr
J.M. FRANCIS : If members do not mind, I also acknowledge the member for
Kimberley for the work she did on preparing a paper recently. Some of the
recommendations in that report are being seriously considered by the Department
of Corrective Services and the Youth Justice Board.
Mr
P. Papalia interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro!
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
have said a number of times that if we keep doing things the same way, we will
keep getting the same results, which is exactly why we established the Youth
Justice Board and gave it seed funding. That is exactly why the Youth Justice
Board—I am pleased to announce—has provided, and will provide,
a grant of $220 000 a year for the next two years to the Kimberley Aboriginal
Law and Cultural Centre to operate the Yiriman youth diversion program. We all
know that a lot of the just under 160 juveniles out at Banksia Hill are
Aboriginal kids from the Kimberley. I think it is very important that we start
to target as a priority some of the issues and some of the ways we can keep
them out of there. The Yiriman youth diversion program will link youth with
Aboriginal elders, provide diversion treks with elders, provide a six-week
caring for country program, and provide valuable work experience for young
Aboriginal children, supported by Kimberley Community Alcohol and Drug
Services. It will also assist young people to address their offending
behaviours, and, hopefully, further reduce our incarceration rate for juvenile
Aboriginals in particular from the Kimberley. The Department of Corrective
Services is finalising a Kimberley corrections plan that will adopt a holistic
approach to community corrections and custodial corrections in the Kimberley.
Lastly—this is the key point—a number of
years ago, when I became the minister, the previous Commissioner for Corrective
Services had determined that the future of Broome Regional Prison was that it would
be closed. I went there and looked at it. In fact, the member for Kimberley was
with me at the time and she outlined a number of concerns that she had about
closing that prison. I can confirm to the house that it is the intention to
keep Broome Regional Prison open. It is currently being used primarily as a
remand facility. We will outline in the very near future exactly what the
requirements of that facility will be, moving forward, but it is now the
intention of the Department of Corrective Services to keep that facility open.
I think it is very important that we help rehabilitate people as much as
possible, and that includes the use of that facility. As I said, I thank the
member for Kimberley for her input to that.
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