- Infrastructure review to determine the State's long-term youth detention
needs
- Additional prison officers to improve safety for Banksia Hill staff and detainees,
allowing Youth Custodial Officers to focus on rehabilitation
- New plan being developed in consultation
with Indigenous leaders
- Aboriginal
mediators to be appointed to assist with incident de-escalation
- Specialised medical services to be delivered through new Aboriginal
health provider
- Telethon Kids Institute to provide expertise on the assessment and
management of children and young people with neurodevelopmental impairment
The Cook
Labor Government has announced a range of measures to enhance safety and
welfare at Banksia Hill Detention Centre. This includes a review of
infrastructure needs in Western Australia's youth justice system and measures
to increase staffing.
The evaluation will be undertaken by the Department
of Justice, in conjunction with the Department of Premier and Cabinet, and
Treasury, to assess the State's current and planned youth custodial assets.
It will investigate whether current facilities are fit-for-purpose and
determine if improvements or additional infrastructure is required to meet
long-term needs.
Safety at
Banksia Hill will be enhanced for staff and young people with additional Prison
Officers to provide greater security and enable Youth Custodial Officers to
focus on rehabilitation, mentoring and the delivery of a new model of care.
Legislative
changes will be introduced to enable this, as well as specialised training and
working with children checks for prison officers employed at the Centre.
The
additional staffing will improve safety and security, and increase out-of-cell
hours for those in detention.
Consultation has commenced with Indigenous leaders who will
provide advice as a new model of care is adopted.
Aboriginal
mediators are also being engaged to assist with mentoring and the safe
resolution of critical incidents. This is in direct response to calls from
Aboriginal community members to enable Elders to provide this assistance.
Furthermore,
the Department of Justice will appoint an Aboriginal health service to provide
culturally appropriate care for young people at the facility.
Discussions
are also underway with Telethon Kids Institute to provide its expertise and
advice on Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and
other neurodevelopmental conditions. This will help to inform a model of care
where an individual's circumstances and needs are clearly understood by staff
and health providers, enabling for the creation of tailored management plans.
Law
changes to require those who reach the age of 18, while in juvenile detention,
to be transferred to adult prison passed Parliament this week.
These
amendments will increase the separation of adults and children in youth
detention, further improving safety and security at Banksia Hill Detention
Centre.
Comments
attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"Above all
else, Banksia Hill must be made safe for staff and children in detention.
"This is
our number one priority because once the facility is safe and secure, we will
be able to properly engage the young people in rehabilitation, education and
positive activities.
"We know
there is no quick fix. We are dealing with the most complex situations in the
corrective services space.
"If we are
going to improve the situation, we must get the basics right first – this means
a boost to staffing and improvements to infrastructure.
"We are
also enhancing Banksia Hill's focus on health, welfare and Aboriginal
engagement services to ensure the young people are afforded every opportunity
to improve their lives and leave custody with good prospects for the future."
Comments
attributed to Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia:
"These
immediate actions will improve safety, security and welfare at Banksia Hill.
"Banksia
Hill was, and can be, a world leading facility but recent disturbances, which
have made the facility unsafe, must be prevented from happening again.
"The infrastructure review will investigate
whether our current and planned youth justice facilities are fit-for-purpose,
or whether additional action is needed.
"Prison Officers will provide another layer of security, creating a safe environment for
Youth Custodial Officers to
focus their efforts on education and rehabilitation.
"Having a
safe, well-staffed facility means detainees can be afforded more out-of-cell
time to engage with mentors, play sport, participate in education and
vocational training, and take part in rehabilitation programs.
"They will
be able to spend more time outdoors, where they can exercise, learn and engage
with others to change their lives for the better.
"A safer
and more secure Banksia Hill means rehabilitation of young offenders will be
more likely.
"We are
very keen to work with stakeholders, in particular the Aboriginal community, to
deliver improved welfare, health and rehabilitation services - and we look
forward to developing partnerships through these new initiatives."
