Navigating Youth Justice: Challenges and Possibilities

“It’s time to face facts: the centre is failing. Failing in its duty of care to detained young people. Failing the State of WA. It needs to change and be reformed.”

– Inspector Eamon Ryan, Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services

The riots at the Banksia Hill Detention Centre (Banksia Hill), Western Australia’s only detention centre for young people aged 10 to 17 years, in May 2023 have reignited discussions about the ongoing failures of the state’s youth justice system. Advocates from various sectors, including healthcare professionals, First Nations leaders, and legal experts, have ardently supported reform efforts, striving to ensure the safety of WA's most vulnerable youth.

The panel brings together experts with diverse perspectives and experiences to foster an insightful dialogue that paves the way for meaningful change.

The conversation will engage with the complex reality of Youth Justice Reform in WA – reflecting on barriers to change, discussing how we can ensure accountability in the current system and envisioning future pathways.

SPEAKERS

Sophie Stewart, Principal Manager at Social Reinvestment WA

Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, Commissioner for Children and Young People

Gerry Georgatos, Founder, National Suicide Prevention & Trauma Recovery Project

Dr Hayley Passmore, Lecturer in Criminology, UWA Law School and Honorary Research Associate at the Telethon Kids Institute

MODERATOR

Fatima Merchant, UWA Public Policy Institute

HOST

Delaney Harper, UWA Public Policy Institute

ORGANISERS

Katherine Ong, UWA Public Policy Institute

Rekha Amoganathan, UWA Public Policy Institute

The UWA Public Policy Institute Interns have organised the 2023 Intern Event