Page 3478 - Week 08 - Thursday, 18 August 2011
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implemented a single case management model that can apply to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander matters or matters of family engagement as well. A single case management model may be able to offset some of those concerns. I am not saying they will offset all of them, but it is something that we will be working through.
Diversion and the notion about investment and early intervention are what I see when we look at youth justice broadly. Bimberi is not the be-all and end-all of youth justice, a final point. Whilst we need to make the right investments, and good investments, in the detention centre, in many ways we have missed the boat for these vulnerable young people when we are concentrating on the detention area. A diversion framework is in place; we have got an after-hours bail service and single case management.
We also need to appreciate and recognise that on top of this report, which is comprehensive, we have a continual presence of oversight bodies across Bimberi and our youth justice service. The Public Advocate is a regular visitor to Bimberi. The human rights commissioner, the Commissioner for Children and Young People and the Official Visitor are all regular visitors to Bimberi. And the residents there have free access to their oversight bodies. In one of my most recent pieces of correspondence with the Official Visitor she noted that there was a period when there were no issues raised by the young people. I think that is telling us that we have implemented some significant changes since the latter part of last year that are starting to filter through, to resonate and get traction across the centre. It is comforting when you get correspondence from the Official Visitor that says that for the first time no issues have been raised by the young residents there.
Let me go to some other matters. Mrs Dunne came with a swag of paper in reference to her interest in Bimberi. But I continue to note that there was one letter of concern. There has been one visit by Mrs Dunne and Mr Seselja, and no visits by any others opposite. It just reinforces that since it has been operating—
Mr Coe: Be careful. I did visit there, Joy. You know I did visit there.
MS BURCH: The log record to me has said that since there have been residents there you have not been there, Mr Coe. Do provide me with the date and I will be happy to confirm that or otherwise. To me it just confirms that this is not a genuine interest. A genuine interest is quiet, considered conversations, private briefings and information, not the hysteria which they have approached it with here. I also draw their attention to the fact that the commissioner notes and acknowledges that the political and media reactivity to certain incidents in Bimberi has placed significant pressure on CSD and probably weakened the story of the rehabilitation vision of the youth justice centre.
I am glad to hear now that we are, if I can paraphrase Mrs Dunne, singing off the same hymn sheet. We are looking to have a whole-of-community buy-in about how we better support our vulnerable young people and have a youth justice system that does them well—as any society should want for our young people.
I will conclude. Whilst I accept that there is much to do and much to learn, it is also worth noting that the commission themselves have noted in their report that, positively, the commissioner has heard that much has changed in the last six to eight
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