Youth justice gets a boost in the East Kimberley, Redman
Author: Terry Redman
Published on: 04-August-2011
New services aimed at diverting young people away from a life of crime will be officially opened today in Kununurra.
Corrective Services Minister Terry Redman said $43.8million of Royalties for Regions funding had been dedicated to establishing Regional Youth Justice Services in the West Kimberley, East Kimberley and Pilbara regions, building on the success of similar services in the Mid-West Gascoyne and Goldfields.
“This expansion has seen more than 60 new staff employed across these regions to significantly boost services to young people at risk of offending, in order to divert them from the criminal justice system and get their lives back on track,” Mr Redman said.
The East Kimberley Regional Youth Justice Services in Kununurra will include a Youth and Family Support Service, Youth Bail Options Program and an expanded Juvenile Justice Team.
A psychologist will also be available to assess young people, provide counselling and link with other programs and agencies.
Since their beginning at the end of 2008, the Regional Youth Justice Services in the Goldfields and Mid-West Gascoyne, there has been an increase in Police Juvenile Justice Team referrals in those regions and closer working relationships with the local magistrates.
In its first year of operation:
- the number of preventative cases increased from eight to 70 in Mid-West Gascoyne and six to 105 in the Goldfields
- Juvenile Justice Team referrals from WA Police increased from 45 to 130 in Mid-West Gascoyne and from 32 to 51 in the Goldfields
- Juvenile Justice Team referrals from Courts increased from 65 to 105 in Mid-West Gascoyne and 108 to 117 in the Goldfields
- the number of Court Orders decreased from 125 to 108 in Mid-West Gascoyne and 209 to 93 in Kalgoorlie-Boulder
- the number of ‘distinct person’ remand admissions decreased from 54 to 38 in Mid-West Gascoyne and 57 to 37 in the Goldfields.
The East Kimberley Regional Youth Justice Services (EKRYJS) was opened by Mining and Pastoral MLC Wendy Duncan on behalf of the Minister.
