FIRST NATION MAN CALLS FOR REGIONAL DETENTION CENTRE

Google Images

A Yamiji man living in Perth is calling for the WA Government to build new youth detention centres in Albany, and somewhere in northern WA.

“We’re lucky enough to live in Perth so we can put up with it,” he said. “But it’s other families like old people from Newman or Jigalong or Roebourne that come down, Hedland, Broome. They come down to Perth, they go to book a visit, the next minute it’s getting cancelled because of Covid, or understaffed, or they’ve got these requirements where if you don’t have three needles you don’t get in.”

Mr Rickards wrote to WA Corrective Services minister Bill Johnston earlier this year.

He said he was not happy with the response.

“They were saying about how a lot of the young fellas down there are’nt from the Pilbara and the Kimberleys,” he said. “The number of detainees outweighs the need for a detention centre in the Pilbara. But as we all know there’s at least 20 or 30 boys a week sent down to the detention centre. And they are sent back up. The cost of charter flights alone is $45,000.”

Mr Rickards agreed that the Government’s proposed on country offender diversion facility in the Kimberley or Pilbara would be a step in the right direction.