INCIPIENT CRISIS IN THE JUVENILE ESTATE

The numbers of juvenile detainees have not only increased dramatically over the last five years, but the percentage of detainees held on remand has virtually doubled (to around 60%). Rangeview is now unable to sustain its previous role as accommodation for the entire remand population, and currently houses all female detainees, both sentenced and remand.

Under this arrangement, the girls, and particularly the few sentenced girls, who are arguably the most high-need group are the most disadvantaged. Housing the sentenced girls in a centre designed initially for short-stay remand means there is a lack of services and infrastructure to address their needs, e.g. for case management or longer-term programs and activities. There is further an undesirable knock on impact from this accommodation strategy as it pushes all male remand juveniles into Banksia Hill, where their needs which are quite different from those of convicted boys are not necessarily well met.

While both the Inspector and the President of the Children's Court have initiated moves to persuade the agencies involved to work more effectively to keep the remand population down, there is no likelihood that in the short-term the systemic pressures
confronting the juvenile estate will abate.

The infrastructure at Rangeview is now under extreme pressure from increased population, as are the staff who are being subjected to unsustainable work loads and stress. The infrastructure in the juvenile estate as a whole is no longer fit for purpose
due to population growth and shift in population mix.

The Department is now working on plans for additional bedspace at Banksia Hill and needs to recognise that ad-hoc solutions are not a viable response, the planning needs to comprehensively address the future needs of the juvenile estate. A business case
should immediately be developed for the Expenditure Review Committee to build appropriate accommodation for girls on the Banksia Hill site.

While Rangeview, despite these pressures, continues to manage the population with a strong focus on providing care to the young people in custody, the message to the Department is clear, the situation is not sustainable and urgent remedial action must be taken to avert the incipient crisis in the juvenile estate.

Richard Harding
Inspector of Custodial Services
3 June 2008
Professor Harding will be available for comment from 7:00 a.m. Wednesday 4 June and can be
contacted on 0403 387 440.
The full Report will be available on the Inspector's website (www.custodialinspector.wa.gov.au)