A WA parliamentary question explores the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of building a juvenile detention centre in the Goldfields region, with the answer indicating it's not justifiable based on current usage and cost projections.

AnsweredQoN 3286Legislative Assembly
Asked
9 November 2004
Portfolio
Police and Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

(1) Will the Minister advise the anticipated cost to build a juvenile detention centre in the Goldfields?
(2) Will the Minister advise the operating cost of a detention centre?
(3) Will the Minister advise what the anticipated usage of a detention centre would be?
(4) Will the Minister provide a comparison of the cost per inmate of the current system and the anticipated cost per inmate of a Goldfields detention centre?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
26 November 2004
Responded by
Minister for Police and Emergency Services
Response time
17 days
(2) The Department of Justice advise the estimated operational costs of such a facility are estimated to be approximately $2 million dollars per annum. (3) The Department of Justice advise for the period 1 March 2004 to 27 August 2004, the daily average number of juveniles sentenced from the Goldfields region was 7. Based on these figures the construction and operation costs of such a centre cannot be justified. (4) The Department of Justice advise the anticipated costs per juvenile would be approximately three to four times more expensive than the current costs per juvenile.
(3) The Department of Justice advise for the period 1 March 2004 to 27 August 2004, the daily average number of juveniles sentenced from the Goldfields region was 7. Based on these figures the construction and operation costs of such a centre cannot be justified. (4) The Department of Justice advise the anticipated costs per juvenile would be approximately three to four times more expensive than the current costs per juvenile.
(4) The Department of Justice advise the anticipated costs per juvenile would be approximately three to four times more expensive than the current costs per juvenile.

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