Premier

Restoring Order To Youth Justice

27 January 2017

The Andrews Labor Government is deploying prison officers to restore order in youth justice facilities.

Around 40 additional staff from Corrections Victoria – including highly trained response teams, senior management staff and extra prison officers – will run the Malmsbury and Parkville Youth Justice facilities.

Staff will operate under the Children, Youth and Families Act as youth justice workers and will be under the direction and control of the Department of Health and Human Services.

These highly-trained prison officers will be authorised to use additional weapons consistent with the Children, Youth and Families Act and Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.

They will provide the order our facilities need to keep violent youth offenders under control.

This follows sweeping reforms to crack down on youth crime including longer detention periods, more intensive control programs, and a new offence targeting adults who use kids to commit crime.

The changes also follow a record boost to Victoria Police announced by the Labor Government, which will see 2,729 new police recruited to fight crime over the next four years.

These comprehensive reforms will keep the Victorian community safe.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“Highly-trained prison officers have been deployed to keep these facilities secure, and Victorians safe.”

“These thugs will be brought to order.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos

“I am as appalled and angry about this as the rest of Victoria. More violent recidivist offenders coming into our facilities means we need to have the best resources available to us.”

“Adult prison officers will move in over coming days to maintain order and protect staff and the community.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Corrections Gayle Tierney

“Our priority is securing these facilities to make them safer for staff and the Victorian community.”

“Our highly trained corrections staff will move into these facilities and will work with police to help prevent this unruly behaviour.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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