1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,440
Speaker 1: We know the government's announced a new agreement between NT

2
00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:07,680
Speaker 1: Corrections and G four S to expand prisoner transport and

3
00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:12,000
Speaker 1: custody services across the Northern Territory. So it's going to

4
00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,239
Speaker 1: see eighty five additional G four S officers deployed over

5
00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,320
Speaker 1: the next six months, delivering what the Government's described as

6
00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,119
Speaker 1: critical support so police can spend more time in the

7
00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,840
Speaker 1: community and correction staff can focus on their core custodial roles.

8
00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:28,920
Speaker 1: Now we also know that today in Parliament there's being

9
00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,560
Speaker 1: changes introduced on urgency when it comes to the Youth

10
00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,519
Speaker 1: Justice Act, which is also going to see some changes

11
00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,040
Speaker 1: for the ways in which youth are dealt with in

12
00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,280
Speaker 1: our correctional facilities. Now joining us in the studio is

13
00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,720
Speaker 1: the Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley, Good morning to you, Good

14
00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,680
Speaker 1: morning Katie, and also the Deputy Commissioner and Youth Justice

15
00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,920
Speaker 1: and Community Corrections Sasha Dentis, Good morning to you, Good morning, Katie.

16
00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,120
Speaker 1: Thank you both very much for your time this morning. Now, Commissioner,

17
00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,200
Speaker 1: I might go across to you first. One of these

18
00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,800
Speaker 1: eighty five a tional G four officers going to be deployed.

19
00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,560
Speaker 2: We hope to have them on the ground by the

20
00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,360
Speaker 2: end of the year, Katie. We have twenty as you know,

21
00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,080
Speaker 2: already working in Darwin as part of the local court

22
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,560
Speaker 2: custody center there and of course doing metropolitan transport. This

23
00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,000
Speaker 2: is the next phase of that expansion. We've always said

24
00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:21,679
Speaker 2: right back at the start of the year that the

25
00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,000
Speaker 2: contract allowed us to order more services as we grew

26
00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,760
Speaker 2: and established the model, and that's what we've done. We

27
00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,080
Speaker 2: have ads out in the market at the moment for

28
00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,280
Speaker 2: new officers to join that service if they choose to,

29
00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,120
Speaker 2: and we're hoping that we'll have two training courses online

30
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,280
Speaker 2: towards the back end of the year and in time

31
00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:39,880
Speaker 2: for Christmas.

32
00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,440
Speaker 1: Okay, so there's still a little while off. What roles

33
00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:44,600
Speaker 1: are they going to assist with?

34
00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,640
Speaker 2: So this is a role called a Prisoner Custody and

35
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,600
Speaker 2: Transport officer, Katie. That's the job description that has been

36
00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:56,480
Speaker 2: put to market. It is about providing metropolitan Darwin transfer

37
00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,880
Speaker 2: and transport services. We're already doing some of those now,

38
00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,520
Speaker 2: moving people from watch houses or our prisons to court

39
00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,200
Speaker 2: and back, but this will take that model to a

40
00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:08,600
Speaker 2: twenty four to seven basis, so we'll be able to

41
00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,400
Speaker 2: do it seven days a week. It will expand our

42
00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,560
Speaker 2: medical escort service. It will also expand our hospital will

43
00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,040
Speaker 2: the ability to do hospital bedsits in support of our

44
00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:21,240
Speaker 2: corrections offices to take some of that pressure off. And

45
00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,880
Speaker 2: then of course we've also announced a change to how

46
00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:26,880
Speaker 2: we're going to operate the Darwin City Watchhouse.

47
00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:29,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, now, talk us through this because there's been a

48
00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,720
Speaker 1: bit of chatter around this and we saw it obviously

49
00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,080
Speaker 1: in the pressure release. Yes, today those G fours officers

50
00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,280
Speaker 1: are obviously going to manage the Darwin Transitional Custody Center.

51
00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,440
Speaker 1: Where is that and how's it going to work?

52
00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,880
Speaker 2: Yep? So this is the Darwin City Watchhouse. Corrections has

53
00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,760
Speaker 2: been operating that for probably over two years now, Katie,

54
00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,360
Speaker 2: and you've heard me say many times that I don't

55
00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,000
Speaker 2: really want to have sentenced prisoners or prisoners in watchhouses

56
00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,080
Speaker 2: for a lot of reasons. Yeah, and that's why we're

57
00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,799
Speaker 2: building more prison capacity. But this is a model that

58
00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:03,040
Speaker 2: we we've identified and learned from Victoria where they have

59
00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,799
Speaker 2: the Melbourne Custody Center. What this will be is a

60
00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,080
Speaker 2: flip on the model we have now. So presently we

61
00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,120
Speaker 2: have corrections offices in there with fifty sentenced prisoners who

62
00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,520
Speaker 2: are doing cycles of time in that Darwin City Watchhouse

63
00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,760
Speaker 2: as an overflow from the main center. We believe a

64
00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,480
Speaker 2: better model and we still need those fifty beds Katie,

65
00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,200
Speaker 2: obviously as part of the system because we're still growing, right,

66
00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,120
Speaker 2: But we believe a better model will be for the

67
00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,760
Speaker 2: G four S officers to operate that facility as a

68
00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,800
Speaker 2: custody transfer station I suppose and people on remand who

69
00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,680
Speaker 2: are coming into our custody can spend some time there

70
00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,440
Speaker 2: until we can find them a bed at the main

71
00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:44,320
Speaker 2: prison or they are dealt with by court.

72
00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,600
Speaker 1: So what will that help in some way with the

73
00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:49,200
Speaker 1: situation that we're seeing at the moment at the Palmerston Watchhouse.

74
00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,880
Speaker 2: Well, it's part of the bigger plan, Katie. So we're

75
00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,840
Speaker 2: conscious that the watch houses are still under pressure and

76
00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,080
Speaker 2: we appreciate the work that police are doing there. We

77
00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,600
Speaker 2: know that they're working hard out in the community to

78
00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:05,120
Speaker 2: bring offenders to justice. That's their job. We've been working

79
00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,120
Speaker 2: hard over a year now, all year to work hard

80
00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,520
Speaker 2: to bring on more capacity at our facilities. We have

81
00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,760
Speaker 2: the Beremer Correctional Center. We're hoping to activate another two

82
00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,440
Speaker 2: hundred plus beds there by the back end of August

83
00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:20,240
Speaker 2: and we're still building, so there are more works in

84
00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:22,560
Speaker 2: the pipeline, Katie, and this is just another part of

85
00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:23,080
Speaker 2: that puzzle.

86
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,160
Speaker 1: Look, the thing that springs to mind straight away for

87
00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,200
Speaker 1: me with the Darwin watch House is the fact that

88
00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:31,560
Speaker 1: we have had from what I can recall, at least

89
00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:35,800
Speaker 1: one escapee from there. I mean, is this facility going

90
00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:40,400
Speaker 1: to be safe to be managed by external by G

91
00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,400
Speaker 1: four S. I know, obviously they get sworn in or

92
00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,360
Speaker 1: certainly do the training with you guys, but is it

93
00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,320
Speaker 1: going to be safe for the wider community to have

94
00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,560
Speaker 1: that operating in our CBD right in the middle of town.

95
00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,239
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a really good question and it's important one, Katie.

96
00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,680
Speaker 2: And so as part of that plan of transition, we

97
00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:02,080
Speaker 2: are commissioning a joint secure review again of that facility.

98
00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,640
Speaker 2: Now we've already done that a few times, and each

99
00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,000
Speaker 2: time we've had an issue in that facility, we've learned,

100
00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,440
Speaker 2: we've changed procedures, we've upgraded some things, and you know,

101
00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,360
Speaker 2: we know that watchhouses are not prisons, they're designed differently.

102
00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,800
Speaker 2: But for the purposes of this custody center, we'll be

103
00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,000
Speaker 2: working with our experts and G four S to undertake

104
00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,839
Speaker 2: another security review of that facility to make sure we've

105
00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:24,480
Speaker 2: got things right.

106
00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:26,360
Speaker 1: How many people are going to be housey.

107
00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:30,480
Speaker 2: We're targeting fifty kt. That's the safe operating capacity we

108
00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:30,800
Speaker 2: think of.

109
00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,400
Speaker 1: That facility all right Now, in terms of the expansion

110
00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,200
Speaker 1: of g fours, how much is it going to cost?

111
00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a good question, Katie, So I think in

112
00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,600
Speaker 2: total we'll be talking around ten million dollars a year

113
00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,840
Speaker 2: or so for the total service. Now that's already part

114
00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,920
Speaker 2: of the court system service and the new services that

115
00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,159
Speaker 2: we're bringing on now. We always said that that cost

116
00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,039
Speaker 2: would scale as the service grew, and that's what we're doing.

117
00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,080
Speaker 2: I'm going to be a bit approximate with that number

118
00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,000
Speaker 2: because not only are we working or we've worked on

119
00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:03,800
Speaker 2: salaries and things that are out in the market, but

120
00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:05,800
Speaker 2: we've got to work on training costs. We've got to

121
00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,760
Speaker 2: work on the costs of establishing their logistics and their

122
00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,640
Speaker 2: transportation and things here in Darwin. And I'm meeting with

123
00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:14,560
Speaker 2: them this afternoon to continue working with that.

124
00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:19,200
Speaker 1: Okay, Now there's further changes obviously when it comes to

125
00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:20,680
Speaker 1: the Youth Justice Act.

126
00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:21,880
Speaker 3: Now they're being overhaul.

127
00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:25,239
Speaker 1: Like basically the government said that they're introducing legislation on urgency,

128
00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:26,359
Speaker 1: overhauling the.

129
00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:27,960
Speaker 3: Youth Justice Act Now.

130
00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,280
Speaker 1: Some of these changes include removing detention as a last resort,

131
00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,599
Speaker 1: so courts no longer needing to exhaust all alternatives before

132
00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:39,359
Speaker 1: remanding a youth, stronger powers for youth justice officers, expanded

133
00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:43,120
Speaker 1: powers for the Commissioner to manage emergencies, as well as

134
00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,680
Speaker 1: the anti spit guards being able to be used again. Now,

135
00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:51,840
Speaker 1: Deputy Commissioner, do you anticipate obviously you oversee the youth

136
00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,760
Speaker 1: correctional facilities and youths. Do you anticipate that we're going

137
00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:58,560
Speaker 1: to see an influx of youth prisoners with the removal

138
00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,800
Speaker 1: of detention as a lot resorder? Are you in are

139
00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,160
Speaker 1: you planning that you could see increased numbers?

140
00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:09,559
Speaker 3: So, Katie, we've done some modeling to anticipate what may occur.

141
00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,400
Speaker 4: Obviously, the decision goes to the courts and it's up

142
00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,680
Speaker 4: to judges to decide whether young people are able to

143
00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:21,920
Speaker 4: be bailed or they are remanded while the matter proceeds.

144
00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,640
Speaker 4: What we have worked towards with the staff in our

145
00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,480
Speaker 4: youth detention centers is to ensure that we have capacity

146
00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,080
Speaker 4: and capability for our staff if our numbers do increase.

147
00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:33,280
Speaker 1: How many young people have we got in detention at

148
00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,360
Speaker 1: the moment to cross the end today?

149
00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,880
Speaker 3: We currently have fifty nine young people in detention.

150
00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,560
Speaker 4: Fifteen or five in our springs and there are fifty

151
00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,120
Speaker 4: four here in Darwin.

152
00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,760
Speaker 1: Now. One of the big discussion points I think over

153
00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,080
Speaker 1: recent days, but certainly something that we heard from the

154
00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,240
Speaker 1: opposition leader earlier this morning. And I know that you're

155
00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,720
Speaker 1: both public servants, so not expecting you to get involved

156
00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,920
Speaker 1: in a political discussion, but there is being so much

157
00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,600
Speaker 1: set at the moment about youths in youth detention, you know,

158
00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,560
Speaker 1: going into detention, and it means that they're coming out

159
00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:12,640
Speaker 1: better criminals rather than being rehabilitated. What kind of programs

160
00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,200
Speaker 1: are you doing while they are in detention?

161
00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,920
Speaker 3: Katie? What I would share with your listeners is the

162
00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:20,200
Speaker 3: youth justice.

163
00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:24,240
Speaker 4: Staff in our youth detention centers are absolutely committed to

164
00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:28,800
Speaker 4: rehabilitating young people. So when they are in detention, they

165
00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,320
Speaker 4: have a structured day. They are expected to go to school.

166
00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,720
Speaker 4: It's not optional. They will attend school from nine am

167
00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,080
Speaker 4: until two thirty pm, and then they participate in various

168
00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:43,480
Speaker 4: treatment programs according to their specific needs and their identified

169
00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:47,000
Speaker 4: crimogenic risks. We also have a large number of young

170
00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:51,199
Speaker 4: people who are able to participate in education programs that

171
00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,199
Speaker 4: are about pathways into employment. So when you're in detention,

172
00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:57,079
Speaker 4: it doesn't mean that you get to sit in your

173
00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:01,400
Speaker 4: cell and do nothing. You actually have very clear responsibilities

174
00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,679
Speaker 4: as a young person. So when you return to your

175
00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:08,800
Speaker 4: community as part of your reintegration, it's like returning to

176
00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,240
Speaker 4: what's expected of you when you're back home.

177
00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,560
Speaker 1: I mean, what does stuff think? And again I don't

178
00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:16,439
Speaker 1: want to get you involved in a political discussion, but

179
00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:18,560
Speaker 1: what do stuff sort of think? Then when you hear

180
00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,840
Speaker 1: these discussions that you know that kids go into youth

181
00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,360
Speaker 1: detention and that they're not doing any of those kinds

182
00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,160
Speaker 1: of programs. I mean, if I was working in one

183
00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:30,480
Speaker 1: of those jobs, that would probably make me feel pretty upset.

184
00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:31,000
Speaker 4: Oh.

185
00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:32,160
Speaker 3: Absolutely, Katie.

186
00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,800
Speaker 4: It's really disappointing when our staff have a very negative

187
00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:37,439
Speaker 4: narrative about the work that they do.

188
00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:39,959
Speaker 3: They work with the really most.

189
00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,880
Speaker 4: Complex, highly difficult young people that are in the territory.

190
00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,000
Speaker 4: It's a very finityed population who come into our detention

191
00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,959
Speaker 4: centers and every day they place themselves at risk, and

192
00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,559
Speaker 4: there needs to be actually more of an acknowledgment of

193
00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,040
Speaker 4: the work that they do with those young people and

194
00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,480
Speaker 4: the care that they have. They turn out to work,

195
00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:04,800
Speaker 4: they get abuse, they get assaulted, They hear in the

196
00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:08,960
Speaker 4: media and are often disparaged about the fact that they

197
00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:13,040
Speaker 4: work with these young people. And I'm really proud to

198
00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,360
Speaker 4: be the Deputy Commissioner of the Youth Justice Team and

199
00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:19,959
Speaker 4: the work that we're doing to change their level of

200
00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,040
Speaker 4: safety and making sure that their workplace is secure.

201
00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:24,400
Speaker 3: With the changes in the bill.

202
00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:26,880
Speaker 1: In terms of some of these changes that are coming

203
00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,440
Speaker 1: on board, particularly with the spit guards, and I'll get

204
00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,199
Speaker 1: to that in just a moment, but our staff on

205
00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,640
Speaker 1: board with those changes, you know, particularly the Youth Justice officers,

206
00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,080
Speaker 1: are they quite keen to see some of these changes

207
00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:38,719
Speaker 1: implement it.

208
00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,560
Speaker 4: Last night, the Commissioner and I attended a full Youth

209
00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:45,920
Speaker 4: Justice staff meeting and we had all of the Youth

210
00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:50,360
Speaker 4: Justice staff across the territory join us online and we

211
00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,679
Speaker 4: were at the Holtz Youth Detention Center and we shared

212
00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,760
Speaker 4: all of the changes and the amendments in the bill,

213
00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:58,880
Speaker 4: and our staff were quite encouraged by the fact that

214
00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,440
Speaker 4: they had been listed two because these actually came from

215
00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:05,800
Speaker 4: our staff. This was what our staff was saying needed

216
00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,280
Speaker 4: to change to improve the workplace environment, but also the

217
00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,680
Speaker 4: safety and security of other detainees that are in detention.

218
00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:15,520
Speaker 2: And Katie, can I add to that, I think the

219
00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:20,079
Speaker 2: important thing to reinforce for the community is not one

220
00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,400
Speaker 2: youth Justice officer is out there looking to make youth

221
00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,920
Speaker 2: detention the wrong experience for the young people in the

222
00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,360
Speaker 2: Lord Territory. Now, what we do have to do is

223
00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:32,079
Speaker 2: make sure that the facility is safe and secure. And

224
00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,480
Speaker 2: you can't have rehabilitation without security and without safety. And

225
00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:39,800
Speaker 2: that's just safety for our staff, it's safety for the

226
00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,520
Speaker 2: other service providers that work in the facility, and it's

227
00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:44,280
Speaker 2: safety for the young people, you know. And this is

228
00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:48,080
Speaker 2: the piece that people miss is every day our officers

229
00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,880
Speaker 2: are dealing with highly charged young people who need a

230
00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,640
Speaker 2: rules based environment to be able to regulate their behavior

231
00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:59,079
Speaker 2: and go to school, go and do these programs. Understand

232
00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,240
Speaker 2: that there are content sequences for your actions so that

233
00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,079
Speaker 2: you can actually learn a better way in life. And

234
00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,559
Speaker 2: these reforms are all about that. And I think, you know,

235
00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,280
Speaker 2: safety and rehabilitation absolutely must go hand in hand.

236
00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:14,280
Speaker 1: Now. I know that this morning it is being reported

237
00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:19,680
Speaker 1: by the ABC in terms of it's more, as I understand,

238
00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:23,000
Speaker 1: the watch houses. But there's been nearly twenty incidents of

239
00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:26,719
Speaker 1: self harm involving children recorded in the Northern Territory in

240
00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,640
Speaker 1: the watch houses. Now, am I correct to assume that

241
00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:32,000
Speaker 1: those children that are in the watch houses, they are

242
00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:35,120
Speaker 1: being cared for by Northern Territory police or are they

243
00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:36,360
Speaker 1: being cared for by you guys?

244
00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, so let's be really clear, Katie, that data I

245
00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,200
Speaker 2: think is police data out of the system for custody

246
00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:45,920
Speaker 2: at watchhouses. It's not Youth justice Darter. That's the number one.

247
00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:51,280
Speaker 2: Secondly is, of course, we have obligations to manage young

248
00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:54,200
Speaker 2: people's health and well being, and we have established procedures

249
00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:57,400
Speaker 2: in the youth detention system for risk incidents like that.

250
00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,560
Speaker 2: We have a whole processes to how young people managed

251
00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,840
Speaker 2: when they display harming behavior, including medical and specialist assessments.

252
00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,120
Speaker 2: But you know, it's not an uncommon thing. Our staff

253
00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:12,319
Speaker 2: deal with some really complex, challenging behaviors and people who

254
00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:13,760
Speaker 2: need specialist care.

255
00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:18,240
Speaker 1: I mean, I guess the sad part, the frightening part,

256
00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:21,200
Speaker 1: the concerning part about that, whether it's in a watch

257
00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,800
Speaker 1: house or whether it's in the correctional facility. What people

258
00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:26,079
Speaker 1: listening this morning will be thinking, is well, it sort

259
00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,240
Speaker 1: of points to the need for young people to be

260
00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,200
Speaker 1: in the correct kind of facility rather than a watchhouse.

261
00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:33,240
Speaker 1: I mean, what would you say to that?

262
00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:38,800
Speaker 4: What I would say, Katie, and to reassure your listeners

263
00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:41,559
Speaker 4: is when a young person does come into a watchhouse,

264
00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:46,200
Speaker 4: once they've been arrested, apprehended, and the matter goes before

265
00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:50,560
Speaker 4: the judge within an hour at a minimum, they will

266
00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:54,880
Speaker 4: be transported to a youth detention facility. If police aren't

267
00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,319
Speaker 4: able to transport that young person to US, youth justice

268
00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,600
Speaker 4: officers will travel to a watchouse and collect that young person,

269
00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:05,360
Speaker 4: so they do not remain in a watchhouse until they

270
00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:10,400
Speaker 4: actually go before that judge. And unfortunately, sometimes over a

271
00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:12,600
Speaker 4: weekend you need to wait until.

272
00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:16,119
Speaker 3: Two pm for the on call judge to be available.

273
00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,559
Speaker 4: But as soon as we do have a warrant for

274
00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,000
Speaker 4: that young person to come into our custody, we take

275
00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,600
Speaker 4: them into a youth justice facility.

276
00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,680
Speaker 1: All right, we're gonna we will just rush through the

277
00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:26,600
Speaker 1: last couple of minutes because we've got the Lord Mayor

278
00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:28,680
Speaker 1: coming in next. But I do want to ask these

279
00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,600
Speaker 1: spit guards. Now, there's been much said about spit guards.

280
00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:36,480
Speaker 1: We know that spit hoods were indeed removed from use

281
00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,920
Speaker 1: within our youth correctional facilities following the Royal Commission. Spit

282
00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,960
Speaker 1: guards are now going to be reintroduced. Now I've got

283
00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:46,440
Speaker 1: one of them in front of me. It's not the

284
00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,360
Speaker 1: first time that I've seen one. I've spoken to the

285
00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,480
Speaker 1: Northern Territory Police and seen one previously. But I will

286
00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,680
Speaker 1: share it for our listeners in a photo so that

287
00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,120
Speaker 1: they've got a very good understanding of what it looks like. Now,

288
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,920
Speaker 1: this is not what a spi hood used to look like.

289
00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,880
Speaker 1: This to me looks like a fly nest, like you

290
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:06,400
Speaker 1: might wear if you're in somewhere like Alice Springs or

291
00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:10,720
Speaker 1: Mountaiser and you're dealing with the fly issues. It's fully mesh,

292
00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,880
Speaker 1: it's fully see through. Is this something that's required for

293
00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,400
Speaker 1: you guys when you are dealing with you It's within

294
00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:17,920
Speaker 1: the correctional facility.

295
00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,400
Speaker 4: So, Katie, what I would share with the listeners is

296
00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:26,440
Speaker 4: our young people, when they choose to threaten our staff

297
00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:30,520
Speaker 4: and will verbally say that they will spit on our staff,

298
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,520
Speaker 4: they have a tool to be able to use to

299
00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:36,320
Speaker 4: deter the young person from actually following through.

300
00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:38,160
Speaker 3: We do have occasions.

301
00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:42,280
Speaker 4: Last financial year we had eight staff that had incidents

302
00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:44,400
Speaker 4: where they were spat on on purpose.

303
00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:46,040
Speaker 3: That's not okay.

304
00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,480
Speaker 4: Nobody wants to go to work and deal with disgusting

305
00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,840
Speaker 4: So it doesn't mean that all young people will have

306
00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,080
Speaker 4: an anti spitguard applied to them if they spit at

307
00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:57,760
Speaker 4: staff or on staff, but it is a tool that

308
00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,160
Speaker 4: our staff will have and we hope that by working

309
00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:03,560
Speaker 4: with young people and making it clear that this is

310
00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,840
Speaker 4: a tool we have, it will deter them from thinking

311
00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,040
Speaker 4: that it's okay to spit on staff.

312
00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:14,040
Speaker 1: Well, Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley and Deputy Commissioner Youth Justice

313
00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,000
Speaker 1: and Community Correction Sasha Dennis, we are going to have

314
00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,560
Speaker 1: to leave it there. Really appreciate both of you joining

315
00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:20,720
Speaker 1: us this morning in the studio.

316
00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:22,120
Speaker 3: Thanks Katie Aatie, thank you