The Tasmanian Government is progressing our plan to close the Ashley Youth Detention Centre (AYDC) and transition to contemporary therapeutic facilities and models of care by the end of 2024.
We have committed to deliver that outcome as part of our reform of the entire youth justice system, which also includes increasing the minimum age of detention to 14.
If there were better alternatives to AYDC available now, we would be taking them.
While this is underway, our immediate priority is to ensure appropriate staffing ratios and support for the existing workforce responsible for the safety and care of young people currently in AYDC.
Newly-appointed youth workers have now completed their induction process and a further recruitment round is commencing. The Department is also working with other government agencies to secure extra staff to support those working directly with young people in AYDC.
In coming weeks, new operations and management staff will commence and we are bringing in experienced, therapeutically-trained staff from other jurisdictions, to boost staffing at the centre.
To expedite these supports, the Premier has called an urgent meeting of Senior officers from across agencies to meet again early this week.
Significant reform has been occurring at the AYDC over recent years and we are not waiting for the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry to act where we can.
We have established better safeguards and protections including CCTV technology and a new personal searches policy. The centre also now has strong independent oversight mechanisms including through the Custodial Inspector and the Commissioner for Children and Young People.
We have also engaged with the Australian Childhood Foundation and the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care, to provide an independent authoritative view on the safety for young people at AYDC and guidance on any further actions we can take now and during transition to improve the safety of the service for young people and staff.
More broadly, we are re-setting our whole approach to the Youth Justice System.
Following the release of our Youth Justice Blueprint discussion paper last year, comprehensive consultation has been undertaken with a broad range of stakeholders.
This includes young people themselves currently involved with the youth justice system and their advocates, as well as the Commissioner for Children and Young People and the Custodial Inspector given their particular statutory roles and functions related to Youth Justice.
These consultations are informing our strategic directions for reform of the system over the next 10 years, ensuring we have the settings and services that promote early intervention, diversion and therapeutic response across the system.
With respect to the new facilities, Noetic Group have been engaged to undertake a functional design brief for new facilities based on an analysis of Tasmanian data, consultation with Tasmanian stakeholders and review of best practice approaches from around the world.
Noetic has considerable experience working with government and non-government organisations across Australia to ensure their youth Justice systems, programs and services are responsive to the needs of children and young people.
We have asked Noetic to consider how alternatives to detention that have been raised through our Blueprint consultation might also impact on our detention population and therefore the design of the future facilities that will replace AYDC.
We will have more to say on progress towards our future system and facilities in coming weeks.
This is a once in a generation opportunity to build a new Youth Justice System, informed by past failures and world’s best practice, that leads to better outcomes for young people and keeps our community safe.
