Changes afoot for prisons

FUNDING to transition from the current youth justice model and shut down the Ashley Youth Detention Centre has been included in the state budget, with $40m allocated for new youth justice facilities.

The shutdown of the facility will allow the state government to use the infrastructure for the northern prison, something which also has funding committed in the books.

A third of the funding to create the northern prison will be rolled out over the next four years, a total of $90.7m.

Forward estimates show $4.8m has been allocated in the 2022-23 financial year, $18.3m in 23-24, $32.6m in 24-25 and $35m in the 25-26 period.

The total cost of the prison is expected to be $270m.

Budget papers say the northern prison will be specifically designed to help prisoners find work and will focus on rehabilitation and reintegration.

Meanwhile, the budget provides $17m to finalise the build of the Southern Remand Centre, along with $13.8m to fund its operation over four years.

The new remand facility will include a kitchen to provide training for inmates.

“The SRC has been built with the best practice rehabilitation front of mind, and once operational, will allow people on remand to be housed separately from those who have been sentenced,” Corrections Minister Elise Archer said.

There’s also $8.47m in the 2022-23 financial year for the new Burnie Court, with expressions of interest for its location being sought by the state government.

The government will also spend $3.6m to replace the mobile duress alarm system at the Risdon Prison Complex and Mary Hutchinson Women’s Prison and $500,000 on programs to improve the literacy skills of offenders.