Youth Justice Administration Bill
10/02/2016
The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: Dignity for Disability is pleased to speak to the second reading of this bill today and express our support for it. The bill, as has already been explained by other members, seeks to reflect the current reality and best practice in the administration of youth justice by creating a singular legislative framework.
I understand that it follows three years of consultation and includes quite a number of progressive measures, some of which have been outlined by the speaker before me, the Hon. Mr McLachlan. These include the appointment of a training centre visitor as an independent monitor of the detention facility who will be available to advocate for residents and, as has been said, visit unannounced—not unlike our current community visitor scheme which plays a vital role in ensuring adequate standards for people with disabilities and mental health diagnoses.
The bill also proposes a charter of rights for youths detained in training centres and a youth justice Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander principle. Also reflected in this bill is the shift in emphasis since the Young Offenders Act 1993 from punishment to rehabilitation, and this is certainly something that I welcome. It also reflects the fact that the majority of young people in the youth justice system are now in community-based supervision rather than traditional detention. I am advised that this is now made more feasible by new technology, including GPS tracking. The proposed legislation is in line with the provision of co-located services in the new Adelaide Youth Training Centre.
On the campus there is a school and a health centre, including a dentist. I understand that residents’ needs and circumstances, including any physical or intellectual disability, for example, are regularly and comprehensively assessed. Of course, this is something that we strongly welcome. Such assessment and the provision of health and education services on-site responding to that assessment aims to ensure that residents’ case management is fully informed and tailored to the needs of each young person as an individual.
With those few brief words, Dignity for Disability is certainly pleased to see this step towards a more progressive catering for young people in detention, be that traditional detention or, thankfully, more and more, community-based detention. We strongly support this bill and look forward to the committee stage.
