End the cycle of harm in WA's Youth Justice System

End the cycle of harm in WA's Youth Justice System

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Conditions within youth detention in Western Australia are horrific and must urgently be changed. The recent Four Corners report on Banksia Hill Detention Centre has highlighted the physical abuse and failings of our entire justice system in WA.

This goes beyond just Banksia Hill and Unit 18. The entire system is in crisis. These children need help not harm.

Power has been taken away from our communities and autonomy has been taken from our families. Many of the children in our justice system are living with neuro-disabilities, trauma and mental health issues. More than half have been taken from their ...

Conditions within youth detention in Western Australia are horrific and must urgently be changed. The recent Four Corners report on Banksia Hill Detention Centre has highlighted the physical abuse and failings of our entire justice system in WA.

This goes beyond just Banksia Hill and Unit 18. The entire system is in crisis. These children need help not harm.

Power has been taken away from our communities and autonomy has been taken from our families. Many of the children in our justice system are living with neuro-disabilities, trauma and mental health issues. More than half have been taken from their families and placed under the care of the state. With so few alternatives resourced in the community, these children are funnelled to a detention system where they only suffer further harm and are not supported to rehabilitate and reintergrate back into their communities.

Aboriginal Leaders are calling for change.

Social Reinvestment WA are calling for change.
Leading legal and medical experts are calling for change.

Join us in calling on the WA Government for Urgent Action.

This situation is shameful for a state such as Western Australia.

We need our voices to be heard loud and clear, as one.

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Every name adds weight to our unified call - We need the WA Government to act urgently.

Stand with us today to protect WA children

I stand with Aboriginal leaders, Leading Legal and Medical Experts, and Social Reinvestment WA in calling on the WA Government for Urgent Action to prevent the ongoing cycle of harm in WA's youth justice system.

Children and young people need helpful interventions.
Harming them in detention does not make our communities any safer.

We need to:

  1. Investigate failures through an independent inquiry that enables truth-telling and accountability for the behaviour uncovered by Four Corners across the entire system.
  2. Immediately ban the use of dangerous restraining practices, solitary confinement, and adhere to the WA Supreme Court ruling of maximum hours children can be locked in cells.
  3. Commit to a specific date publicly to Close Unit 18 and transition children back to Banksia Hill.
  4. Convene a taskforce of Aboriginal leaders, independent experts and Government to develop and implement immediate changes within youth detention to improve the care provided to children.
  5. Commit to developing a whole-of-government Youth Justice Strategy with direct Cabinet oversight, informed by the taskforce and the blueprint developed by Social Reinvestment WA.
  6. Stop charging, prosecuting and locking up children under the age of 14, who are not old enough by law to drive, vote, or get a job. Help them with tailored support instead of harming them.

West Australian's do not support the abuse of children in public institutions.

We need urgent reform of the whole system to prevent this, and bring about an effective and connected approach to justice.

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