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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 09 Hansard (Tuesday, 17 August 2004) . . Page.. 3672 ..

MR HARGREAVES: I move:

That the report be noted.

Today I table the Standing Committee on Community Services and Social Equity’s second report on its inquiry into support services for families of people from the ACT in custody. This report is on the inquiry’s second term of reference, which was to look at the availability and effectiveness of services to assist young people in the transition from Quamby into the community. An evaluation of a nationwide program for young offenders noted that, typically, the most disadvantaged young offenders are those who have progressed furthest through the juvenile justice system and spent time in custody. In re-engaging with the community these young people are often confronted with a myriad of difficulties. The challenge for many is to break out of a deepening cycle of unmet needs, drug dependency and crime.

Sadly, this picture is as true here in the ACT as it is elsewhere in the country. The children and young people in Quamby are some of the most disadvantaged in our community, and the committee heard concerns that they cycle in and out of Quamby. The term “revolving door” was used. The thrust of the recommendations in this report is that we need to be giving these marginalised children and young people more support. In giving them that support, there needs to be more coordination and cooperation between government agencies, and also between government and non-government agencies. The key words there are “more coordination and cooperation”.

In summary, this report recommends making young people exiting Quamby a priority target group for access to government services; establishing a reference group to bring together Quamby and the community agencies supporting young people; funding ongoing outreach support for all young people exiting Quamby; expanding the range of accommodation options for these young people; reviewing the appropriateness and adequacy of the programs being offered in Quamby to make sure that they come out as well-equipped as they can be to live in the community; exploring the possibility of a mentoring program at Quamby; and looking at how to include the voices and wisdom of the young people who have been in Quamby when we evaluate the success of transition programs.

In addition, this report reiterates an earlier recommendation from the committee’s general inquiry into the rights, interests and wellbeing of children and young people. That recommendation is that, where a child or young person is known to family services prior to entering Quamby, then family services must maintain responsibility for their case management and overall welfare. We are seeing family services pull away for the duration of a young person’s stay in Quamby. The committee is saying that that cannot persist.

The committee also investigated the proposed upgrade of Quamby at some length, and has come to the conclusion that it would be more cost-effective and appropriate to build a new juvenile detention centre on another site, with a new name, rather than proceeding with the upgrade.

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