Youth justice system
David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:39): (532) My question is to the Minister for Youth Justice. Minister, young people are being released from youth justice centres without the correct paperwork being completed because of a lack of resources. Youth justice workers have had to travel from Cherry Creek to Eltham just to get the paperwork signed and to ensure a release is legal. Why is the government failing to provide, I therefore ask, proper resources onsite to ensure the legal requirements for release can be done?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:39): I thank Mr Davis for his question and his interest in our youth justice system. It is my understanding that at the moment at our two youth justice facilities we have a strong complement of workers, especially considering the record low numbers of young people in custody in our state at the moment. Mr Davis, if you have a specific allegation about an incident, I am happy to respond to that. In terms of our corrections system but in particular our youth justice system, you would be aware we have a new facility, Cherry Creek, a modern state-of-the-art facility in which we can support young people. We also have our existing Parkville precinct. Both of them have a strong complement of staff at the moment.
From my understanding our government is committed to creating jobs. Although there is a strong complement, we will continue to hire people, because we have programs that we run for young people to turn their lives around, whether it be addressing their mental health needs in our facilities or whether it be in addressing other health needs, re-engaging with education or providing a pathway for employment through vocational training. We provide those at our custodial facilities, but my understanding is that we have a strong complement of staff at both the facilities at the moment.
David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:41): The minister strayed very wide there. It is not about job creation. This is about getting the legal details for release right, and I therefore ask: can you guarantee that all releases of young people without the correct paperwork have been rectified and have met all the legal requirements?
Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:41): I thank Mr Davis. As I said in my answer to your substantive question, Mr Davis, if you have got a specific example, that would assist. But what I will say is that we have a strong complement of staff at both our facilities. We have record low numbers of young people in custody, the lowest it has been since we entered into government.