youth justice – Michmutters

Tag: youth justice

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Australia

Cairns youth crime punishment warning as city endures record spate of car thefts

Cairns youth crime punishment warning as city endures record spate of car thefts

Amy Grant couldn’t stop worrying about the worst-case scenario as she drove around Cairns looking for her family’s stolen 4WD.

The keys to the LandCruiser had been taken from the Grant family’s caravan while they slept inside.

It was one of about 800 vehicles reported stolen in the Cairns region so far this year, eclipsing the yearly record set in 2021 in just the first three quarters of the year.

“Let’s have a think about a 13-year-old driving down the Bruce Highway in and out of traffic, going from suburb to suburb,” Ms Grant said.

“As a mum, for those first few days, I’m thinking there’s a likelihood my car could kill a family.”

The theft left her family and their caravan effectively stranded in Cairns, the final destination of an east coast road trip the Albury residents had been enjoying.

Deadly consequences

Car thefts in Far North Queensland have already ended in tragedy this year.

A 14-year-old boy was killed in February when an allegedly stolen car he was a passenger in crashed into a tree at high speed in suburban Cairns.

a CCTV still image of a white Landcruiser from the side angle
The Grant family’s stolen car was captured on CCTV being driven in Cairns.(Supplied)

There have been near misses too.

Police said two pedestrians had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit when a 17-year-old girl drove a stolen car on to a footpath to get away from officers on Sunday evening.

Police have repeatedly pleaded with residents to make their cars more difficult to steal by ensuring their vehicles and homes were locked and keys kept in a secure place.

Alternatives needed

Criminologist Shannon Dodd, from Australian Catholic University, said taking a purely punitive stance against young offenders “could actually make it worse.”

“I understand why these issues cause a lot of community concern and certainly as a parent, I can understand wanting to feel safe,” Dr Dodd said.

“But as a criminologist and knowing the research, I couldn’t justify approaches which are aimed at taking a harsher stance toward these young people; throwing the book at them per se.

“I know that’s what a lot of people call for but unfortunately, what we might see as the likely result of that is individuals becoming entrenched in the justice system.”

Front of Cairns police station in far north Queensland in July 2017.
Police urge drivers to hide their keys and lock their homes and cars.(ABC News: Emilia Terzon )

Dr Dodd is helping lead a new six-week trial program for up to 20 young people aged 13 to 20 that aims to better understand why at-risk youth choose to go joyriding in stolen cars.

The program, to take place in Townsville, will combine educational sessions with hands-on activities “that get their heart racing”.

Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin said she wanted juvenile offenders sent to remote areas to take part in diversionary programs.

“These are young 10, 11, 12-year-olds, 13-year-olds maybe, [who] can be sent to gain both social and vocational skills rather than be sent to a youth detention facility,” she said.

Queensland Police and Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan have been contacted for comment.

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Categories
Australia

Roof security concerns flagged years before weekend escape from Malmsbury Youth Justice Center

Roof security concerns flagged years before weekend escape from Malmsbury Youth Justice Center

Victorian youth justice management rejected internal recommendations to upgrade the security of the unit two young men escaped from at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Center over the weekend, the ABC has learned.

Two young men smashed through the plaster ceiling of their cells in the admissions unit and escaped through the roof cavity of the youth prison north-west of Melbourne on Saturday night.

They were caught by police on Monday.

The 22-year-old escapee will face court on Tuesday after he was arrested in Corio, near Geelong, while the 19-year-old was sent to adult prison and will face court again in September.

The unit is not surrounded by a secure fence.

The ABC understands concerns were raised in 2019 about poor security of the admissions unit, which is an older building in the precinct.

Sign outside the Malmsbury Youth Justice Center in central Victoria.
There have been multiple reported attacks on staff at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Center in the past few weeks.(abcnews)

Internal recommendations were made to upgrade security and infrastructure of the unit, including the ceiling and roof due to risk of escape.

The ABC understands the recommendations were ultimately rejected by management.

The ABC has reported extensively on serious assaults of staff and young people at Malmsbury.

In the past six weeks, staff have reported being assaulted, threatened, spat on, and having suspected urine thrown at them. One young man threw hot water and honey at another inmate which landed on the side of a staff member’s face.

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Categories
Australia

Police search for two men on the run after breaking out of Malmsbury Youth Justice Center

Police search for two men on the run after breaking out of Malmsbury Youth Justice Center

Two young men are on the run after breaking out of the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre, north-west of Melbourne.

Police are asking the public for assistance in finding 22-year-old Shamus Touhy and 19-year-old Matthew Piscopo.

They broke out of the Mollison Street youth justice facility at around 11:44pm on Saturday.

Malmsbury staff told the ABC the men escaped through the roof and workers did not realize they were missing until Sunday morning.

Police said the men were known to frequent the Ballarat area.

Detective Inspector Juliann Goldrick said police were searching for the men and residents should not approach them.

“These men are not believed to be violent, however members of the public are advised not to approach either,” Ms Goldrick said.

Touhy has red hair and Piscopo has a long tattoo of a rose on his left hand.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The breakout comes after a string of violent attacks and ongoing concerns about safety in the troubled youth justice centre.

Head counts may have been missed

A daily briefing report seen by the ABC confirmed staff did not discover the escape until the following morning.

“Matthew Piscopo and Shamus Touhy breached the roof space from their bedrooms in the admissions unit and exited via a plant room door,” it stated.

“The young men exited the precinct and this was discovered during the morning unlock.”

Sign outside the Malmsbury Youth Justice Center in central Victoria.
The prison sent an email to staff reminding them to properly conduct head counts.(abcnews)

Following the breakout, the executive director of youth justice operations sent out an email to staff about the importance of nightly headcounts.

“During the night, checks need to be visual and ensure the young person is present in their room,” the email said.

“Please note that strict adherence to the client accounts and observations is expected by all staff.

“If circumstances arise that disrupt staff ability to adhere to these requirements … the unit supervisor, unit manager/night manager must work with staff to address the issue in the most immediate and safest way possible.”

Some staff who received this email said the nightly headcount was likely not conducted properly.

They said the admissions unit where this occurred had since been closed.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Community Safety said how the men escaped from the facility was being reviewed.

“Any escape is taken very seriously, and the safety of the community is of paramount concern,” they said.

“The young people are not considered dangerous.”

Staff levels ‘extremely dangerous’

The ABC has confirmed that youth justice staff have repeatedly told center management in recent weeks that staffing levels were “extremely dangerous.”

The ABC understands staff were left alone in secure units with young people out of their cells, despite recent mandated supervision ratios requiring one staff member to three young people.

In the past six weeks, staff have reported being assaulted, threatened, spat on, and having suspected urine thrown at them. One young man threw hot water and honey at another inmate which landed on the side of a staff member’s face.

Another staff member witnessed a young person being seriously assaulted by two young men who stomped on him and kicked him in the head while he was on the ground.

Youth justice sources told the ABC staff morale was low, and workers felt their safety concerns were going unheard.

There was a mass breakout from Malmsbury in 2017, but police captured all 15 young people.

Michele Berry, who worked at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Center for 25 years, witnessed the 2017 riots and escapes.

Michele Berry sits on a chair and leans on the back while looking away from the camera.
Michele Berry said she was unsurprised people were breaking out of Malmsbury again.(ABC News: Michael Barnet)

She was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and was paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Department of Justice because she was declared unfit to work.

She said she was unsurprised by the latest escape.

“It was like… not again,” she told ABC Radio Melbourne.

“The admissions unit is a pretty secure unit, except for the ceiling. They’re able to get through the plaster and then through the roof.

“They make up their beds to make out that they’re asleep and then the officers tick that they’re present inside the unit.”

She said when she worked there, the number of staff supervising young people at night was too low.

“We’re not staffing it correctly,” she said.

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