Page 2255 - Week 06 - Thursday, 6 June 2019
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Auditor-General Act, pursuant to subsection 21(2)—Auditor-General’s Report No 2/2019—Recognition and implementation of obligations under the Human Rights Act 2004—Government response.
Bimberi Youth Justice Centre report—government response
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Advanced Technology and Space Industries) (4.05): Pursuant to standing order 211, I move:
That the Assembly take note of the following paper:
ACT Human Rights Commission—Commission Initiated Review of Allegations regarding Bimberi Youth Justice Centre Report—Government response, dated June 2019.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Disability, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety, Minister for Government Services and Procurement, Minister for Urban Renewal) (4.05): I am pleased to speak briefly to the ACT government response to the recent ACT Human Rights Commission report Commission Initiated Review of Allegations Regarding Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. As members of this Assembly would be aware, I am committed to transparency and accountability in youth justice in the ACT and to ensuring that all young people have access to crucial rehabilitative services to turn their lives around.
The safety of young people and staff at Bimberi is our main priority. Bimberi is a highly regulated environment with strict protocols and procedures in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of young people.
I welcomed the commission’s review when it was announced and similarly welcomed the review report and the commission’s recommendations. Reviews such as this one give us the opportunity to reflect on our practice and demonstrate our commitment to the best possible outcomes for young people within the youth justice system.
The Human Rights Commission interviewed 39 individuals, including young people who had been at Bimberi in the review period, family members, youth workers, managers and health and education staff. They reviewed extensive information obtained from the Community Services Directorate and other stakeholders, conducted physical inspections of the facility, reviewed and analysed data from registers of searches, use of force, segregation and complaints, and viewed CCTV footage and reports of several incidents. The review was significant and comprehensive.
The recommendations provided by the commission build on the already robust focus on human rights within the centre and will further cement the Human Rights Act 2004 in Bimberi operations. Importantly, the commission’s investigations did not reveal an entrenched culture of violence or disregard for the human rights of young people at Bimberi. In our response, the government has either agreed or agreed in principle to
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