❓ The Minister outlines consultations with various stakeholders regarding reforms at Banksia Hill Detention Centre, following a riot and the transfer of challenging individuals to Unit 18. Focus is on safety, welfare, and rehabilitation.
AnsweredQoN 433Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BANKSIA HILL DETENTION CENTRE — REFORM
433. Ms H.M. BEAZLEY to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
I refer to measures announced today
to enhance safety and welfare for youth in detention at Banksia Hill Detention
Centre. Can the minister outline to the house how youth justice stakeholders
have been consulted in relation to these long-term reforms?
433. Ms H.M. BEAZLEY to the Minister for Corrective
Services:
I refer to measures announced today
to enhance safety and welfare for youth in detention at Banksia Hill Detention
Centre. Can the minister outline to the house how youth justice stakeholders
have been consulted in relation to these long-term reforms?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question
and her interest in matters of juvenile justice.
At the outset, I echo the words of
the Premier. We have confronted a challenging situation in recent times as a consequence of a riot at Banksia Hill that
destroyed a lot of property and set back a lot of work that had been done on establishing alternatives for housing some really challenging individuals.
We are confronted with a situation now in which we are making it safe in the
near term by shifting the most challenging and complex individuals to unit 18
where they will be afforded every service, support and intervention possible to
ensure that they are cared for and provided with opportunities for
rehabilitation. Back at Banksia Hill, the remainder of juveniles who do not
exhibit those sorts of behaviours can be afforded a much better environment.
Once we have that, we will throw everything we possibly can at services in both
locations. To achieve that, we are seeking assistance from all manner of
interested parties. All interested stakeholders who have expertise or advice to
offer are being engaged with. I have already
met with a number of them. The Premier referred to the Telethon Kids Institute
being part of our plan . I met with Dr Carapetis and his team last week.
They will be resuming studies that they initiated at Banksia Hill some time
ago. But we have asked that they very much focus on more pragmatic and
practical advice, particularly on how to deal with the significantly
challenging juveniles but also the other detainees we have. They will continue
with their very practical research but also provide some advice and specialist
knowledge for the task.
I have met with a range of other
people. I will continue to meet with anyone who offers expertise and skills we can benefit from. For example, next week we will
be meeting with the Mental Health Commission, the Law Society , of course
the Inspector of Custodial Services—I look forward to working closely
with the inspector on oversight of what we are doing—and the Aboriginal
Legal Service. I am meeting with Malcolm McCusker from the McCusker Foundation
and Tabitha Corser from the Whitehaven Clinic. Many people in this place would
be aware that they both bring a lot of capability and experience to this sort
of task, so we look forward to meeting with them. I met with the unions that represent both youth custodial officers and
prison officers. I met with the Community and Public Sector Union–Civil
Service Association of WA yesterday and have met with the Western Australian
Prison Officers' Union a couple of times, and I opened its conference
this morning. We look forward to working with them. Also, the Transport Workers'
Union of Australia has a role in the corrective services world.
Just about anybody who can assist
will assist us with our problem. It is not my problem but our problem—all
of us. The challenge we confront is to make our youth detention facilities the
best they can be and provide offenders with the best possible chance for
rehabilitation.
and her interest in matters of juvenile justice.
At the outset, I echo the words of
the Premier. We have confronted a challenging situation in recent times as a consequence of a riot at Banksia Hill that
destroyed a lot of property and set back a lot of work that had been done on establishing alternatives for housing some really challenging individuals.
We are confronted with a situation now in which we are making it safe in the
near term by shifting the most challenging and complex individuals to unit 18
where they will be afforded every service, support and intervention possible to
ensure that they are cared for and provided with opportunities for
rehabilitation. Back at Banksia Hill, the remainder of juveniles who do not
exhibit those sorts of behaviours can be afforded a much better environment.
Once we have that, we will throw everything we possibly can at services in both
locations. To achieve that, we are seeking assistance from all manner of
interested parties. All interested stakeholders who have expertise or advice to
offer are being engaged with. I have already
met with a number of them. The Premier referred to the Telethon Kids Institute
being part of our plan . I met with Dr Carapetis and his team last week.
They will be resuming studies that they initiated at Banksia Hill some time
ago. But we have asked that they very much focus on more pragmatic and
practical advice, particularly on how to deal with the significantly
challenging juveniles but also the other detainees we have. They will continue
with their very practical research but also provide some advice and specialist
knowledge for the task.
I have met with a range of other
people. I will continue to meet with anyone who offers expertise and skills we can benefit from. For example, next week we will
be meeting with the Mental Health Commission, the Law Society , of course
the Inspector of Custodial Services—I look forward to working closely
with the inspector on oversight of what we are doing—and the Aboriginal
Legal Service. I am meeting with Malcolm McCusker from the McCusker Foundation
and Tabitha Corser from the Whitehaven Clinic. Many people in this place would
be aware that they both bring a lot of capability and experience to this sort
of task, so we look forward to meeting with them. I met with the unions that represent both youth custodial officers and
prison officers. I met with the Community and Public Sector Union–Civil
Service Association of WA yesterday and have met with the Western Australian
Prison Officers' Union a couple of times, and I opened its conference
this morning. We look forward to working with them. Also, the Transport Workers'
Union of Australia has a role in the corrective services world.
Just about anybody who can assist
will assist us with our problem. It is not my problem but our problem—all
of us. The challenge we confront is to make our youth detention facilities the
best they can be and provide offenders with the best possible chance for
rehabilitation.
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