Views and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Queensland's youth detention centres
A paper by the Commission, detailing the views and experiences of Indigenous young people in Queensland’s youth detention centres, has been published in the November/December 2009 edition of the Indigenous Law Bulletin.
The paper details the responses from 66 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who took part in the Commission’s latest Views of Young People in Detention Centres Survey.
The paper highlights some areas in the operation of Queensland’s youth detention centres that are positive and some areas that could be improved. It is reported that:
- Most Indigenous young people in detention feel safe and are participating in a range of developmentally appropriate programs and activities, however
- Only half believe they would be taken seriously if they raised concerns about their safety or wellbeing.
The paper also provides information that can help build a youth justice system that is responsive to the needs of Indigenous young people. Based on the Indigenous young people’s responses to the survey, the paper argues that Indigenous young people are likely to feel safer in detention when:
- staff take a supportive ‘mentoring’ approach
- there are Indigenous staff in the centre
- they have contact with friends in the centre and family members
- there are harmonious relationships between detainees, and
- periods of isolation are minimised.
The paper also suggests that Indigenous young people are more likely to engage in therapeutic post-release programs if those programs include a significant practical component such as sporting, employment and training and mentorship activities.
A full copy of the paper is available here. For more information about the Indigenous Law Bulletin, visit their website at www.ilc.unsw.edu.au/publications/ilb/
Last Updated: February 24, 2010
