Youth Advocacy Centre (YAC)

Last week the Queensland Ombudsman released their inspection report of the Cairns and Murgon watchhouses. This picture shows a toilet in a Cairns watch-house cell, of which the Ombudsman said: “The toilets have a partial wall that provides some privacy in terms of the view from the spine into the cell. It provides little privacy from others in the cell, especially when three or more children are sharing it. There is a bed adjacent to the toilet “ “In the Cairns watch-house, we saw children using their mattresses to surround themselves in an attempt to get privacy when using the toilet. We were advised that this is a common practice, and that children do the same at Murgon.” You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/g7TUDrCk

Last week the Queensland Ombudsman released their inspection report of the Cairns and Murgon watchhouses which included the below case study. ❗Warning: this story is distressing and contains stories of self-harm. “A child admitted to the Cairns watch-house responded to the standard medical assessment questions advising that they had consumed methamphetamine (ICE) in the 24 hours before their arrest, they had a chest infection, they usually took ADHD medication, and they had attempted to self-harm within the last three months. This included a suicide attempt while in custody. “ “No further medical or mental health assessments were undertaken on that day (or over the subsequent six days), either within the watch-house or in a hospital, to adequately assess the child’s immediate/initial needs. The child was, however, placed on 30-minute observations for the duration of their detention in the watch-house (meaning staff had to check on the child every 30 minutes). “ “Despite reporting that they had a chest infection, the child did not see the onsite nurse until Day 8. By this time, they had complained of sore ribs, a blocked nose, fever and stomach cramps. When their condition had not improved by Day 13, the nurse administered medication that day and on the following four consecutive days.“ “There is no record of the child being administered ADHD medication while they were in the watch-house. Four incidents were recorded for the child, with the most serious being an assault on another child and a watch-house officer. The same records refer to ‘self-harm’ and the child being placed in a padded cell for approximately three hours. There is very little information about the manner or seriousness of the self‑harm. The child was not seen by a mental health service until two days after the self‑harm incident. “ You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/g7TUDrCk

Last week the Queensland Ombudsman released their inspection report of the Cairns and Murgon watchhouses. This picture shows the Cairns exercise yard, of which the Ombudsman said: “The Cairns watch-house contains a large outdoor exercise yard with high, solid walls and a caged roof that lets sunlight through. The ground is concrete. We saw boys and (separately) men using this exercise yard on one of the days we were at the watch-house. The boys were kicking or throwing balls or talking in small groups. “ “Most boys were gathered in the small amounts of shade offered in the yard. During our visit in January 2024, we went into the yard a short time after the men had been using it. We found it to be oppressively hot, with little shade.” You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/g7TUDrCk

This week the Queensland Ombudsman released their inspection report of the Cairns and Murgon watchhouses. Pictured is the shower in the women’s and girls’ unit at the Cairns watch-house, as seen from the doorway. The Ombudsman’s report includes the following: “The shower area has no door from the spine. This means there is a risk that staff and/or detainees can see a child in the shower from the spine when walking past. “ “We are concerned that this lack of privacy may not meet the international standards identified earlier in this chapter.” You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/g7TUDrCk

We had a great time last week celebrating our annual YAC team day! Our staff came together from across Queensland to learn, discuss, and have fun. Special guests Father Wally Dethlefs and Debbie Kilroy OAM provided an inspiring discussion about their experiences and a delivered a powerful message about how we can best advocate for young people and systemic change. We finished the day at Vanilla Zulu working together to make some delicious gnocchi and cannoli! Our incredible staff continue to inspire those around them with their dedication and passion for creating better futures for our young people and communities.

We would like to thank some of our wonderful supporters who have selected YAC as their charity of choice for this year’s Bridge to Brisbane!! 🏃♂️🏃♀️ You can make a donation to their run in support of young people here: Peta - https://lnkd.in/gM7_Jb67 Nathanael - https://lnkd.in/gkywdJSb Kate - https://lnkd.in/g-3NGNZ3 Julia - https://lnkd.in/gdhP8tyG Annie - https://lnkd.in/gHQfn-4m Danielle - https://lnkd.in/gGVwX_Rn Rachel - https://lnkd.in/gn3kNBss

A new Australian Human Rights Commission report calls for prevention and early intervention to stop our most vulnerable children from coming into contact with the child justice system. The Commission spoke with 150 young people and children, their families and a range of stakeholders who said that prioritising child wellbeing and safety would help keep children away from the criminal justice system. Governments need to listen to the evidence and work together across health, education, social services and justice to improve child wellbeing and safety – and keep communities safe for everyone. Read the full report and the recommendations ‘Help way earlier!’ How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing https://lnkd.in/gjdjyz2s #AusHumanRights

The campaign to Save Community Legal Centres launches today - YAC is endorsing the campagin and the asks listed on the campaign website: https://lnkd.in/gVeMq5C9 Community legal centres are at breaking point. Funding shortages and overwhelming demand are forcing centres to turn away over 1,000 people each day and reduce services to local communities across the country. The crisis will only worsen until the sector secures a guarantee of ongoing funding. The campaign calls on governments to step up and provide fair funding to community legal centres: - $35 million this year to address the workforce crisis. - At least $270 million per year for community legal centres from 1 July 2025, committed by December 2024. - $95 million for frontline domestic and family violence work.

The construction cost of the new youth detention centre at Woodford is expected to be almost $1 billion. That’s over $8 million per cell! This is in addition to operating costs and the construction of a second centre in Cairns. Detention is extremely expensive and not effective at reducing offending. Imagine if this money was invested in early intervention and support for young people who are currently falling through the cracks of under-funded services. Queensland already incarcerates more children than any other state or territory and building more detention centres will not reduce that number.