DETENTION CENTRE HAS TO BE FIXED MINISTER
YOUTH Justice Minister Leanne Linard certainly has her work cut out for her if she intends to address the ongoing safety concerns at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. The newly minted minister’s response to Wednesday night’s antics seem blase at best.
When questioned by the paper, Ms Linard said it was “not uncommon for high-risk young people to act impulsively” and she “understood no one was injured” and there was “minimal” damage.
She did not say whether any immediate measures would be enacted to prevent a similar occurrence in the short-term, however pointed out the culprits would be held to account, whatever that means.
The response will do little to allay the fears of some detention centre employees who have spoken out about their concerns for their safety in the wake of assaults on staff inside the prison.
Some fear it is only a matter of time before there is another riot like the one in 2016, while another worries someone will die if there isn’t a serious shake-up of the system.
Wednesday night’s rooftop display highlights the failings of a youth justice system that favours the wellbeing of its inmates over the safety of its staff.
It’s clear from the actions of the teens involved on Wednesday, which are that of belligerence, that any punishments being meted out aren’t having the desired effect.
Cleveland is not just a place to house unruly youth – it’s also a workplace, and employees have a right, like you and I, to feel safe in their place of work.
Aside from personal safety issues, another source has come forward with claims management is completely removed from what is happening on the ground, instead focusing its attention on downplaying incidents to make the centre look good on paper.
If this is true it doesn’t bode well for the future of the centre and the safety of all who are housed and work there.
The union is calling for an investigation into the latest incident but maybe that investigation should be broadened to give the public and employees confidence in the system.
The last thing anyone wants is for someone to be seriously maimed because the government failed to listen.