Related coverage:
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
INCREASED use of lockdowns and continued staffing issues were among a “significant range of pressures” placed on staff and young people at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre in the lead-up to several riots in the last month.
Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass released a report on Monday on the state’s youth justice facilities at Malmsbury, Parkville and the Grevillea Unit at Barwon Prison.
The report detailed the deterioration of conditions at Malmsbury in the aftermath of the riot at Parkville in November, including young people kept in their rooms up to 23 hours per day for two weeks, beds without mattresses or bedding, and no toilet paper or clean clothing.
Ombudsman officers and staff from the Commission for Children and Young People visited Malmsbury on multiple occasions just days before four young people caused extensive property damage on January 12.
Fifteen prisoners then broke out of the centre on January 26 when they attacked a staff member and stole a security pass.
In her report, Ms Glass said a range of issues were apparent during visits to Malmsbury in November and December.
“The issues were most acute in the fortnight immediately after the riot, but some continue to be of concern in January 2017 when staffing issues continued to cause unit lockdowns,” she wrote.
“It was apparent on those visits that young people and staff at Malmsbury were dealing with a significant range of pressures in the aftermath of the events at Parkville in November.”
The report described “inappropriate sleeping arrangements”, the closure of the centre’s visitor centre, damage to the “education hub”, confusion about prisoner’s placement arrangements, delays in administering medication and graffiti.
Prisoners at Malmsbury continued to contact the Victorian Ombudsman after the visits to complain about the amount of hours they were placed in lockdown.
During a court hearing in Bendigo for four prisoners charged with criminal damage in January, Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre operations manager Rick Madigan was questioned about the use of lockdowns at the facility.
He said they were used “once a week” in rotation in the aftermath of the riot at Parkville.
“Lockdown is actually a rotation scenario, four out on each wing – eight at a time – clients still maintain coming out of rooms, TV, meals,” Mr Madigan said.
He outlined the centre’s procedures for dealing with poor behaviour.
Prisoners are placed on individual behaviour management plans, which last for 72 hours and involve periods of isolation.
A further measure can be put in place if poor behaviour continues, involving 23 hours of isolation over three days. They are then re-assessed and, if over 18, they can be assessed for their suitability to be kept in youth detention.
Mr Madigan said they were not long-term solutions.
“I believe isolation isn’t a long-term solution for the clients, it’s a short-term solution to get them back on track,” he said.
“It’s not healthy for anyone to be in isolation.”
In September, WorkSafe issued an improvement notice on the Malmsbury facility in response to 41 incidents of “occupational violence towards staff” in August.
The Community and Public Sector Union blamed “overcrowding” for the situation, and was critical of the increased number of young people being placed on remand in the centre.
Staff from the Commission for Children and Young People will continue to visit Malmsbury every month and raise concerns with government.
Ms Glass said an outcome needed to be found which prevented young people from becoming adult criminals.
“It is neither in the interests of public safety nor the public purse for young people to become entrenched in a life of crime, cycling through youth justice centres into adult prisons to which all too often they return,” she said.
“Reform should not be derailed by knee-jerk responses to events, which will not make us safer in the long run.”