Page 1472 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 6 April 2011
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(a) a number of significant allegations and concerns have been raised about the operation of the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre and the Minister and the Government have an obligation to investigate the allegations and concerns; and
(b) the Human Rights Commission is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of youth justice in the ACT that will consider the allegations as part of the review; and
(2) calls on the Minister for the Children and Young People and the Minister for Education to ensure that their respective departments provide the Bimberi Review Team with:
(a) a copy of all policies and procedures relevant to the operation of the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre;
(b) a copy of all policies and procedures that were developed specifically for the transition of detainees from Quamby Youth Justice Centre to Bimberi Youth Justice Centre; and
(c) a statement explaining how the policies and procedures are or were applied in practice and how staff are trained in, and informed of, the operation of the policies.”.
As I have said, there are a number of concerns and I have referred to them in the amendment. They do need to be recognised and they must be addressed by the government, but also we have to recognise that, as I said, there is an inquiry underway and the most appropriate thing to do at this stage is to provide all the information that was set out by Mrs Dunne.
The important thing is to ensure that the Bimberi review team receive that information and that they have a look at that information; that we let the experts analyse it and address any concerns and also develop ways to ensure that any of the concerns or issues that are found to have substance do not occur again; that if there are any gaps in policies, procedures or practice those gaps are filled; and that we do have some sort of ongoing training and professional development program for the dedicated staff. And there are dedicated staff in Bimberi. What we need to remember here is that there are a lot of staff who are feeling pretty upset at the moment, pretty demonised—and I do worry about this constant bringing up of issues in a very political way and the demonisation of the workforce and the demonisation of the young people who are resident in Bimberi.
We have spoken about how vulnerable these young people are; we have spoken about how quite often that contact with the youth justice system, that incarceration, can actually be an incredibly important point to intervene and to make real differences and changes that could well turn a young person’s life around. We should be looking at behavioural change, at the sort of lifestyle change that will support them to go on and complete education and training if that is what they want to do. But at least they should be given the chance to reach their potential and to pursue opportunities. That is what we need to ensure at the end of the day happens here. I am getting increasingly
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