Page 2442 - Week 06 - Thursday, 23 June 2011
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experience in other jurisdictions, we have seen some efforts that were in vain because adequate supports and supervision were not put in place and we need to avoid this here in the ACT.
In regards to the sentencing of young people, rehabilitation and reintegration into the community should be primary objectives in the development of sentencing options, and programs should be tailored as far as possible to the individual needs and circumstances of young offenders, including the difficulties they may have in complying with certain orders. Sentencing options should take into account the special health and other requirements of children and young people, and this should include the provision of appropriate drug and alcohol treatment facilities, incorporating both detoxification programs and treatment or referral services. It should also include counselling and other practical programs to assist these young people and of course it should include their families. These could be run by non-government services or by government agencies but we need to ensure that we are providing treatment and alternatives to young people who are experiencing mental illness that has resulted in their offending behaviours. Sentencing options for young sex offenders should also include specific treatment programs appropriate to this category of offenders.
The Canberra Times article this morning talked about revolutionising the youth justice system under a raft of reforms. And I guess I was a little surprised. I thought it was probably a little pre-emptive, considering we are still awaiting the key findings from the inquiry into the Bimberi Youth Detention Centre that included Youth Justice Services. But we know that this type of reform needs community involvement. I know we have had a discussion paper released but I believe the community needs to be involved in deciding what the reforms look like for the ACT. We have many providers working with the young people who have been in our youth justice system, and these providers have knowledge and expertise that could be invaluable to driving these reforms forward.
We talk about, as I said earlier, that centrepiece of the reforms being about the introduction of parole and a parole board. As I have said, I have some concerns that we have previously looked at the parole options for young people here in the ACT and we did decide against it. Now we are reforming the system by a parole board. While things may have changed in this area, I will certainly be looking very closely at this and certainly looking at the checks and balances as well as, as I said, the adequate funding to ensure we are supporting and supervising young people in this situation.
It is no use giving them early release and putting them on parole if you are really setting them up to fail because you have not put in the supports, you have not worked with families, you have not got the access to counselling, drug and alcohol programs or whatever it may be. As I said, we do need to be looking at the level of education, training and activities that also occur within Bimberi. And I will be keeping a close eye on all of this because all of this fits together in the whole juvenile justice system.
The other issue is around the case management. I think it is good to streamline that. I think it is good to have one area, I guess, where there is that follow through. But there is another critical issue that relates to this, and that is about staffing. And we know
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