CALLS FOR YOUTH JUSTICE REFORM AFTER GUARDS INJURED AT BANKSIA HILL
BY GERARD MAZZA
Banksia Hill Youth Detention Centre. Credit: Google Maps.
Community leaders have called for major reform to WA’s youth justice system after guards were injured in a major disturbance at Banksia Hill Youth Detention Centre on Monday night.
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice confirmed seven Banksia Hill detainees climbed fences and rooftops, damaged infrastructure and threw debris at staff.
The Department said four officers were injured and one underwent emergency hospital treatment on Monday night.
Premier Mark McGowan told reporters one detainee threw a piece of masonry at a custodial guard which “potentially fractured his skull.”
In a statement, Social Reinvestment WA Co-Chairs Daniel Morrison and Glenda Kickett said that while the incident was shocking and they did not wish to excuse it, they would continue to urge the government to pursue reform to avoid similar occurrences.
“Clearly the youth justice system is not working for anyone - for the workers, the children, the community, or the courts,” they said. “We need to do things differently.”
“The community needs the Government to look at these issues holistically, and with all the experts at the table to guide effective responses to these issues. We believe strongly that this collaborative approach would provide better outcomes than reactionary youth justice policy via the press when something goes wrong.
“We await details of the review of the Young Offenders Act, announced in October, to be released so that we can ensure all views are considered by contributing constructively to those important discussions.”
WA Greens MP Brad Pettitt told Ngaarda Media he was distressed by the news and his thoughts went out to the guard and their family.
Mr Pettitt said the incident was another example of how Banksia Hill was “broken”.
“An institution that locks up kids for more than 20 hours a day, one that tries to combine remand and long-term prisoners, as well as those from far-flung regions with those from the metro area, clearly isn’t working,” he said.
“Just going harder on those kids is not the solution. We actually need a fundamental rethink of Banksia.”
Premier McGowan said one of the detainees was over 18 and the government would review whether inmates should be moved to adult facilities once they reach that age.
“They go into youth detention at the age of 16 or 17 and their sentence might be four or five years, so they stay in to the conclusion of their sentence,” he said.
"Now we're going to have a very close look at those 18-year-olds, once they turn 18, heading off to an adult prison because they're adults and they're in there leading juveniles astray.”