A second fire in a matter of weeks at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre (AYDC) shows Tasmania’s youth detention system is reaching crisis point under this Liberal Government.
Earlier this month, Minister Roger Jaensch revealed that there are a “historically high” number of young people currently detained in AYDC.
Despite this, there’s been no increase in staff to match. In fact, the centre has been understaffed for a long time.
We know inadequate staffing levels lead to more frequent periods of lockdown and an inability to properly supervise young people, let alone provide the rehabilitative programs they should be receiving.
When you add to this the uncertainty around the timeline for the closure of AYDC, it makes it very difficult to recruit and retain good staff, perpetuating the problem.
After ten years of a Liberal Government, Tasmania’s youth detention system has become unsafe for young people and unsafe for staff.
Premier Rockliff is kicking the can down the road when it comes to fixing the critical issues, but we need immediate action, including a Worksafe investigation as a matter of urgency, and additional staff as a priority.
Sarah Lovell MLC
Shadow Minister for Child Safety
