Tuesday, 2 May 2023

Youth justice centres

Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:53): (109) My question is for the Minister for Youth Justice. Minister, sources have told the Shadow Minister for Youth Justice that first-time 18- to 21-year-old offenders in Ravenhall had their specialist unit closed due to a lack of staff. Can you confirm to the house if this is the case and, if so, what has become of that cohort within Ravenhall?

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (13:54): I thank Dr Bach for his interest in this matter and specifically that incident. I think you are going at very detailed operational level matters. In relation to those kinds of matters in terms of the operation of prisoners – and Ravenhall in particular, for example, being a private prison, as you would know – I will leave it to the experts to make determinations about the functioning of that facility.

Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:54): I thank the minister for his response. I would not entirely accept that this is a particularly detailed matter – whether or not an entire unit has been closed in one of our prisons – but nonetheless I will attempt to carry on. Minister, given that we are not sure whether the unit was closed or not and what has occurred for this cohort within Ravenhall, can you give an assurance that this vulnerable cohort has not been put at risk by any decisions regarding their specialist unit that may or may not have been made?

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (13:55): I will point to my substantive answer. Ravenhall is actually a private prison, with a private operator that runs that prison. You are asking operational questions that could be directed towards them. I think, on that point, it is an operational matter, and I will leave it to the operator of that facility.