Page 2253 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 1 August 2017
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MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Kikkert for her question. As I said in my statement this morning, I have asked my directorate to prepare a standard report on KPIs for Bimberi on various indicators that can be tabled on a regular basis. I did say in my statement that as soon as those figures are available to complete that report for 2016-17 I will table that and make another statement to the Assembly.
MRS KIKKERT: Are young people in Bimberi informed that they run a very real risk of being assaulted by another young person whilst in detention?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Kikkert for her supplementary question. Young people coming into Bimberi Youth Justice Centre, as I have said previously, are some of the most difficult and complex young people in our community. These are young people who have often learned to use violence to express themselves. From time to time, therefore, it is not entirely unexpected that they would seek to express themselves in that way within Bimberi Youth Justice Centre.
At all times the staff at Bimberi, the directorate and the government act with the safety of young people and of staff at Bimberi as our utmost consideration. I also noted in that statement that since, I think, 2009-10 there has been a reduction in the number of assaults at Bimberi of 80 per cent. I specified in my statement that that was a reduction of 80 per cent in assaults of young people on other young people. Overall the number of assaults occurring at Bimberi has reduced by 80 per cent. We are continuing to seek to improve performance at Bimberi.
Mr Coe: Point of order.
MADAM ACTING SPEAKER: Point of order, Mr Coe.
Mr Coe: My point of order is on relevance. The specific question was whether incoming detainees are informed that there is a risk of violence in the centre. To date I do not think the minister has addressed it.
MADAM ACTING SPEAKER: Considering that a minute and 20 has gone in answering the question, I ask the minister in accordance with the standing orders to be directly relevant and come to the subject of the question.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: As I announced this morning, we have just released a charter of rights for young people at Bimberi that outlines what they can expect—both their rights and their responsibilities—in coming into Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. Of course one of their rights is to stay safe in the centre, and one of their responsibilities is to ensure that other children and young people are safe in Bimberi Youth Justice Centre, as well as, of course, the right of staff to be safe in that environment.
MR WALL: Minister, of the eight young people who were assaulted by other Bimberi detainees in 2015-16, for how many of them was this their first experience of being the victim of an assault whilst in custody?
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