Media release – Rebecca White MP, Tasmanian Labor Leader, 4 March 2024
It’s time for a Better Future for youth justice and community safety
A Rebecca White Labor Government is committed to addressing youth crime and making a real difference to community safety.
We’ll achieve this through implementing a range of evidence-based measures that will work in unison to help rehabilitate at risk young people, rather than simply setting them up for a cycle of reoffending.
First, we will boost the reach of the ground-breaking work of the JCP Youth program set up by local legend Will Smith, which is already achieving nation-leading results but remains unfunded by the government.
We’ll fund JCP’s ‘BEAST Program’ which is a responsive, outreach, mentorship program for young people aged 11-17 years. The program offers 24/7 outreach support to participants and includes several overnight camps, activity days, mentor sessions, regular contact and community engagement. The program is unique in Australia, offering sustainable mentorship and programming over a prolonged period.
A $3.7 million investment over three years will go towards staffing to increase the reach of the ‘BEAST’ and ‘BEAST Ascent’ programs by 87 people, update and increase the organisation’s rapid response vehicle fleet and support additional equipment purchases for the JCP safe house respite accommodation.
This program has demonstrated success in reducing youth offending and recidivism and we know that if we can prevent the detention of just three young people, the government will have full return of the money invested and save more than $480,000.
This program is about keeping our community safe and setting our young people up for a better future.
Second, we’ll provide better support for police so they have more capacity to fight crime, where it’s needed most.
This includes Operation Saturate, a dedicated police taskforce with 12 staff to target repeat offenders and career criminals – stamping out crime in known hotspots through funding of $1.5 million per annum.
We’ll also support police through safe staffing levels, dedicated funding for country station relief, research to better understand police workload and wellbeing, recruiting 60 additional offers by 2030 and funding a strategic workforce plan.
This police investment will be complemented by restoring transparency to crime data to build public confidence.
Third, we’ll move to establish a standalone youth court which is an essential component of improving the youth justice system.
Recognising that youth justice in Tasmania has to change from start to finish, this court would be operated on a model similar to the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Victoria.
This court would have a dedicated focus on young offenders, on early intervention, community education and diversionary practices.
In time this approach will reduce youth offending which in turn will mean less adult offending as less young people continue the cycle of crime we see currently.
Finally, all our youth crime initiatives will be underpinned by a clear commitment to take action and close Ashley Youth Detention Centre as soon as possible, and implementing the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations.
Everyone wants to live in safer communities with less crime and violence.
The Commission of Inquiry has exposed how broken the youth justice system is and change is essential – senseless rhetoric won’t get the job done.
After 10 years of the Liberals it’s time for a better future.
Labor takes youth crime seriously and we have a plan to reduce crime meaning safer communities and better outcomes for young people too.
Fast facts – Labor’s plan for a Better Future for community safety
- Funding JCP Youth’s groundbreaking BEAST programs – $3.7 million
- Operation saturate – dedicated police taskforce to target repeat offenders and career criminals – $1.5 million per annum
- Supported by a range of police support measures including safe staffing levels, dedicated funding for country station relief, research to better understand police workload and wellbeing and funding a strategic workforce plan
- Moving to establish a standalone youth court – $500k to scope the operations, find locations in the South, North and North West and fully cost the court
- Closing Ashley Youth Detention Centre as soon as possible
Media release – Jack Davenport, Independent candidate for Bass, 5 March 2024
Independent call to election candidates on Ashley: break ranks and demand its closure
Comments from Jack Davenport following Labor’s youth policy announcement:
Labor’s prevarication over an early closure date for Ashley Children’s Prison further underlines the paralysis of political parties when it comes to keeping children safe.
Earlier we saw the ridiculous situation of a Liberal media advisor asking journalists how they would tackle youth crime. An entire Commission of Inquiry made recommendations specifically on how to do this; they even provided an easy reading guide with pictures.
This is why we need independents in the Tasmanian Parliament. The failure to set a clear date to close Ashley speaks volumes about how political parties are prioritising power over child safety and protection of children’s rights.
I am repeating my call for smaller parties and independents to support my position; promise that early closure of Ashley this year will be a non-negotiable condition of confidence and supply, and any shared power agreement.
There are 167 candidates in this election; it shouldn’t be the case that only one is prepared to make child protection a priority over power politics. Party candidates have to decide what’s more important to them; they need to make the change on party politics, break ranks, and join my call to close Ashley as a condition of power sharing.
Media release – Felix Ellis, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Minister for Skills, Training and Workforce Growth, Minister for Resources, Minister for Racing, Leader of the House, Member for Braddon, 4 March 2024
Labor Confused On Youth Crime
It’s getting harder to know each day where Labor stands on youth crime.
Last week Rebecca White slammed our plan for targeting repeat young offenders calling it ‘appalling’.
Today, Labor announced a copycat policy of a ‘dedicated police taskforce to target repeat offenders’.
Sound familiar?
Labor is trying to walk both sides of the street and pretend it’s not soft on crime.
Ms White says Labor is also planning new standalone youth courts in the South, North and Northwest.
But without costing them.
Ms White says Labor will spend $500,000 to ‘scope’ the plan and work out what it will cost.
It’s based on a Victorian scheme that costs many, many millions of dollars a year.
So Labor is planning to spend half a million dollars to find out how much new courts we don’t actually need- but they say they will build – would cost.
In contrast, a re-elected majority Liberal Government will:
- Recruit 60 more police, taking police numbers to a record high of 1521 full-time Sworn Officers;
- Deploy a permanent Police Strikeforce to target serial criminals;
- Deliver a relief pool for frontline police to ensure safe staffing is maintained at our 24 hour stations;
- Introduce stronger penalties for hooning, road rage and vehicle theft;
- Introduce a new law that makes ‘Boasting and Posting’ about a crime an aggravating factor in sentencing;
- Protect children through implementation of the new Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme;
- Deliver ongoing funding for three Arch Centres supporting victim survivors of family and sexual violence;
- Build a new purpose-built Kingston Emergency Services Hub, a Wynyard Emergency Services Hub and a new Rosebery Emergency Services Hub;
- Provide support for Crimestoppers;
- Pilot a new Emergency Services Cadet Program; and
- Increase annual funding to $4 million per annum for our Health and Wellbeing Program for frontline emergency service personnel and volunteers.
