Philosophy of youth detention services

Youth detention centres are established under the Youth Justice Act 1992 to:

• protect the safety of the community
• provide consequences for offending
• prepare detained youth to live productively in the community.

It is a complex and daily challenge for youth detention centres to achieve these objectives with constant tensions between welfare, justice and security needs.

All youth detention centre staff and staff who support youth detention are responsible for making sure our services are delivered consistently and in line with the following principles.

Principles

1. The safety of people in youth detention centres is paramount

It is extremely important to make sure youth, staff and visitors are safe and the youth detention centre is secure.

It is also very important to minimise risks in an appropriate way that matches the level of the risk.

When we take action, we do so in a way that promotes physical, emotional, psychological and cultural safety.

We will not tolerate violence against staff. Youth who assault staff will receive consequences in line with the behaviour management framework (PDF) (or DOCX).

Staff who are victims of violence will have supports including:

• counselling
• incident debriefings
• wellness programs.

2. Services must promote rehabilitation to stop the cycle of youth crime

We understand that youth who break the law can have things happening in their lives that influence their criminal behaviour.

Your child has a better chance to stop breaking the law if we address the underlying causes of their offending.

If your child refuses to participate in education or other programs we will address this with consistent consequences in line with the behaviour management framework.

We will work with our partner agencies to help your child return to their community and be productive.

Our programs and services:

• encourage your child to be more responsible
• promote health and wellbeing
• help your child develop skills
• teach your child about self-respect
• work with Elders and respected members of the community
• help your child feel a sense of belonging, identity and connection
• teach your child better ways to deal with changes and challenges in their life
• help your child with opportunities to be a positive part of their community when they return home (e.g. school or work).

3. Services must be culturally appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth

Youth detention centres are places where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth can connect to their culture, family and community.

We use the department’s Reframing the relationship plan 2023-2025 (PDF) (or DOCX) to guide the way we support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in youth detention.

We develop suitable policies, programs and services together with our:

• youth detention centre cultural units
• cultural staff
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural stakeholders.

We celebrate significant cultural events like NAIDOC Week. We will provide regular opportunities for your child to be part of cultural programs and services.

We promote:

• cultural awareness training for all staff and key stakeholders
• opportunities for Elders and respected persons to be part of advisory groups
• Australian Aboriginal English as a formal dialect of Standard Australian English
• Torres Strait Creole as an English-based creole of traditional languages spoken in the Torres Strait Island and Cape York regions.

Our cultural units and cultural staff will:

• support your child’s cultural identity and background
• encourage your child to participate in significant cultural traditions, customs and events.

We work together with Elders and other members of Aboriginal communities and Torres Strait Islander communities to get the best possible outcomes for young people.

4. Services must be culturally appropriate

Youth detention centres will be culturally safe environments for all youth.

They will have opportunities and support to nurture their connections with:

• identity
• family
• community
• religion
• culture.

We understand that language is an important part of culture—we will encourage and support it.

5. Services must be trauma-informed

We know many youth in the youth justice system have experienced things that influence their day-to-day behaviour, level of development and ability to understand why appropriate behaviour is important. We call these things trauma.

This can include:

• neglect
• psychological abuse
• physical abuse
• family violence
• grief
• loss.

This trauma may be compounded for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth by:

• inter-generational trauma
• experiences of racism or discrimination
• being over-represented in child protection and youth detention systems
• being disconnected from culture
• social disadvantage.

We will give your child:

• a sense of physical, emotional and cultural safety
• clear expectations about their behaviour
• structure and schedules to help them manage their feelings, behaviour and responses
• appropriate opportunities to develop independence
• support and interventions that respond to their individual trauma-based needs.

We will only use force, separation and restraints as a last resort, and for the shortest time necessary.

6. Positive behaviours must be modelled and promoted

We will help your child to be aware of their behaviour and encourage them to make good decisions by promoting and reinforcing appropriate behaviour.

Your child’s daily routine will provide structure and consistency so they know when things will happen.

While your child is in detention we expect them to be:

• respectful of others
• responsible, by following the instructions of staff
• safe at all times
• active, by participating in centre programs.

If your child has appropriate behaviour and meets expectations, they will have access to incentives and privileges.

If your child has inappropriate behaviour, unsafe actions or refuses programs, we will manage it in a clear and consistent way. We may restrict their access to incentives and privileges.

We will not take away their basic rights and entitlements to punish them.

This will help your child to:

• think about their choices
• build life skills
• work toward successful rehabilitation and going back to their community.

We will treat your child with respect and dignity at all times. Your child will also be encouraged to treat others with respect and dignity.

7. Services must recognise and appropriately respond to and support youth with disabilities and mental health issues

We will provide appropriate strengths-based services and supports to youth with diagnosed or suspected:

• disabilities
• learning difficulties
• disorders
• mental health issues.

We will consider the functional impacts of your child's disabilities and sensory differences in all aspects of their care and management.

We will make reasonable adjustments to programs, activities and expectations for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities including:

• autism spectrum disorder
• foetal alcohol spectrum disorder
• language disorders
• intellectual disability
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

We will also help youth develop their:

• executive function skills
• cognition skills
• communication skills
• attention skills.

Youth detention centres will work with youth justice service centres to help youth and their families:

• apply for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plans
• navigate the National Disability Insurance Agency
• find suitable providers in their community as part of transition planning for the youth to return to the community.

8. Services must be gender-responsive

Our youth detention centres provide gender-responsive and gender-diverse services and supports for youth including:

• specific programs
• activities
• cultural support
• protocols for where young people will live in the centre.

We consider each transgender and gender diverse youth’s cultural, wellbeing and therapeutic needs as part of our:

• case work
• planning
• accommodation management.

9. Services must be restorative

We use restorative practices in youth detention centres to support the safety, wellbeing and rehabilitation of youth.

Restorative practices help us:

• role-model positive behaviours
• address challenging behaviour and conflict
• teach youth to problem solve
• show youth how to repair relationships
• prevent incidents.

Our restorative practices aim to help youth take responsibility and learn the impact their behaviour has on others. This helps them develop skills in emotional regulation and encourages positive choices.

Our restorative practices also support the rights of staff as victims if they are assaulted.

10. Youth’s relationships with their family, friends, community members and advocates are supported

We will help your child maintain appropriate relationships and start new relationships that will give them support while in detention and when they return to their community. This includes with

• family
• members of your child’s community
• support services.

We will work with your family and community to support your child when they leave detention and return home.

Every sentenced youth offender who leaves detention will have up to 12 months support under the Staying on Track program.

11. Youth’s views are important

Your child will have opportunities to have their say in planning processes as much as possible, taking into consideration their age and ability to understand.

We have a number of ways that youth can be involved in discussions about:

• how accommodation units are managed
• cultural support
• behaviour support strategies.

You and your child have the right to complain about something that has or has not happened in a youth detention centre.

12. Continuous improvement

We will continue to improve the way we do things.

We monitor our performance and identify areas for improvement. So do external oversight organisations.

Our policy and program decisions will be based on:

• evidence
• information from our partnerships with researchers, practice experts and other youth justice departments
• improvements recommended by internal review and external oversight.

More information

• Find out how youth detention works.
• Read the entire Philosophy of youth detention document.