MALMSBURY and Parkville Youth Justice Precincts are set to expand as the state government seeks to meet growing demand for secure beds.
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The $58 million plans come months after experts highlighted a need for greater investment in early intervention and rehabilitation, and a less punitive approach to youth offending.
Minister for Families and Children, Jenny Mikakos, is today expected to announce 68 new secure beds for both of the state’s youth justice precincts.
Thirty-two of the new beds will be built at Malmsbury, and are expected to be available for use in 2018.
Construction is likely to start in March.
“We’re investing in more beds and better security at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Precinct to meet growing demand and to help keep the community safe,” Ms Mikakos said.
The state government invested $72 million in fortifications for its youth justice precincts in this year’s budget.
It is also planning to build a new youth justice centre at Cherry Creek, near Werribee, which it expects to be operational by 2021.
“We’re rebuilding the entire youth justice system,” Ms Mikakos said.
An independent review, released in August, identified a need for reform to address significant shortcomings in the youth justice system.
“The report also confirms custody should be the last resort for young offenders and that punitive approaches do not work to tackle the causes of their offending,” Commissioner for Children and Young People, Liana Buchanan, told the Bendigo Advertiser at the time.
Ms Buchanan said the Youth Justice Review and Strategy laid bare the extent in which the youth justice system had been failing children and the broader community.
“If its recommendations are funded and implemented in full, there is no question we will see improved youth justice services,” she said following the report’s release.
The state government commissioned the review to assist with youth justice reforms and accepted, or accepted in principle, all 126 of its recommendations.
ARC Justice executive officer Hayley Mansfield welcomed the report’s recommendations to increase early intervention supports.
“Just one per cent of youth justice investment is allocated to early intervention programs, with the vast majority of youth justice expenditure focused on the acute end of the system such as custodial and community based supervision,” she said.
“We want to see this significantly change, with substantially more investment towards early intervention”.