Social Reinvestment WA

10 days ago, leaders from all states and territories met to talk about raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility. While they decided not to make an announcement, they left the meeting with more public pressure than ever before.

We want to say a huge thank you to our supporters for lending their names and words during the National Week of Action ahead of that meeting. These important conversations wouldn't happen in the first place without your voices.

Our message is clear - leaders need to act faster and stop risking children’s lives. It's time for all Australian states and territories to raise the age to 14 with no exceptions.

The Aboriginal Legal Service of WA Limited is a major contributor to the campaign on youth justice reform in WA, and a critical member of the SRWA Coalition.

A hugely well-deserved award for their tireless work. ❤️💛🖤

Aboriginal Legal Service WA wins Law category at Australian Human Rights Commission Awards The Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia has been honoured at the 2023 Australian Human Rights Commission Awards, winning the Law Award. ALS WA chief executive Wayne Nannup told National Indi...

BREAKING: WA Department of Justice Director General Dr Adam Tomison resigns

Director of WA's problem-plagued justice department resigns, after seven years in the top job The Director General of WA's problem-plagued Department of Justice, Adam Tomison, resigns after years of controversy.

Via National Indigenous Times - Cleveland's family issued a statement on Thursday, renewing their call for justice and reform to put an end to deaths in custody:

"Our young one, a child of the sunrise, of sweeping deserts and untampered earth, is to be made one with the earth again tomorrow, his spirit to ancestors and kin.

We grieve sorrow that our boy should leave us so soon, before this child's full bloom.

We thank before all others, two strong and kind souls who have been with us since the first day of cruel injustice - Gerry Georgatos and Aunty Megan Krakouer - they are friends in even the strongest winds.

Our boy is to be layed in earth Meekatharra drawn. But as we do so, we cannot do so quietly. Those who cruelly stole his mortal living are not yet held to account. More than 50 days have passed since our child was betrayed by people who cruelled the life out of his body.

Racism must not protect wrongdoers. How is it those who fabricated welfare checks have not been charged? How is it those who locked him in a cell endlessly for months and in which his eyes last sight was, those who cruelled hopeless fate have not been charged? We will fight for the truth and not let us be denied truth because we are what you call us, "Black".

We want the people who designed and approved the inhumane Unit 18, named and brought to account, charged. It is an evil place where hopelessness destroys mortal life. We want them charged. As we do guards who ticked off welfare checks at the beginning of their shifts and not as they happened. They fated our child's death in that dank, dark dungeon. The nation is here in Meekatharra, watching, and we ask its media, that they hear us, listen and in fact, help. The first step is to broadcast this statement, to the nation."

'It hurts a lot': Cleveland Dodd's funeral to go ahead as decision to stop father attending reversed After a morning of confusion and anguish, Cleveland Dodd's funeral will go ahead later today, with WA authorities reversing an eleventh-hour decision to block his incarcerated father from attending.

As Cleveland Dodd is laid to rest, the calls for change in WA's juvenile justice system only grow louder As the town of Meekatharra prepares for the funeral of Cleveland Dodd, there are hopes his death will spark desperately needed change in WA's youth detention system.

Everyone knows that children do best when they are on country, with family and supported by their community.

Local Aboriginal leaders and frontline experts have the answers, we just need the government to listen and invest in long-term change. Justice reinvestment (JR) is one of these answers.

It’s not complicated, and yet, Governments continue to put children in maximum-security adult prisons, where they come out more traumatised than when they went in.

There are other options that work. Join us in pushing for Justice Reinvestment as an alternative to prison.

Behind these numbers are real children. And no child will ever belong in a maximum-security adult prison.

What can you do?
* Spread the word about the truth of Unit 18, share this post.
* Email your MP: https://socialreinvestmentwa.good.do/banksiahillaction/youth-justice-reform/
* Sign Break the Cycle 's petiton: https://www.change.org/p/close-unit-18-now

To end this crisis we need a timeline to close Unit 18 as soon as possible, and real change for the kids in detention to care for them and turn their lives around.

If this brings anything up for you, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 13YARN (13 92 76) for Mob.

Save the Safe Night Space!

Please take the time to sign the petition below to try and keep the Safe Night Space for women from being forced to close its doors. This petition was started by a caring member of the community.

+ The Safe Night Space provides services and a safe haven for 30 women each night who are experiencing homelessness.

+ Over 70% of these women are also experiencing family and domestic violence and need somewhere to sleep rather than the streets, where they are most vulnerable and run the risk of being subjected to further trauma, sexual assault and harm.

+ The State Government has provided funding for two years and Ruah is able to continue providing this service.

+ All this service needs is for the City of Perth to continue to allow Ruah to use the Rod Evans Community Centre, to provide this critical, life-saving service.

Show your support by signing the petition 👉https://www.change.org/p/urgent-appeal-to-save-the-safe-night-space-for-women-in-perth

Please share this post, spread the word, and ask that the City of Perth reconsider their decision to create a community centre in place of this essential service for vulnerable women.

Tune in tomorrow! 📻

CONTENT WARNING: This story discusses incidents of self-harm and the image of an Indigenous person who has died.

From showing weapons to admitting failures, the WA government has changed its tune on teen tragedy Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia's decision to release an interim report into the death of Cleveland Dodd, revealing more details about his attempt to take his own life, was a 180-degree turn in his handling of the tragedy, writes Kathryn Diss.

BREAKING: 136 organisations and notable Australians have signed an open letter calling on WA Premier Roger Cook to close Unit 18.

Read the full letter below, and see the full list of signatories on our website.

Dear Premier Cook,
No child deserves to be locked alone in a cell for over 22 hours a day.
Yet in Western Australia this is happening every day in an outer suburb of Perth.
When you assumed the role of Premier, you stated “… Above all else, Banksia Hill must be made safe for staff and children in detention.”
Since July 2022, your government has placed children inside maximum-security adult prison, in a facility called ‘Unit 18’.
Since it opened, there have been 20 su***de attempts and more than 350 instances of self-harm.
In September, children spent an average of 22 hours and 14 minutes in their cell each day. That’s just 1 hour and 46 minutes outside of their cell a day.
WA’s own Supreme Court has ruled this violates WA law.
It has been described as torturous, and a form of solitary confinement by human rights watchdogs.
And tragically, a 16-year-old boy has died in custody at Unit 18.
His name was Cleveland Dodd. He was the first child death in detention in WA. His death was foreseeable and preventable.
Experts warned of the risks of Unit 18. Lawyers, child and mental health experts, Aboriginal leaders, families, workers, and the young people detained spoke up. Evidence based solutions and alternatives to Unit 18 were provided.
Today, we are speaking up together again.
We recognise you agree Unit 18 is not working. The announcement of new leadership inside the Department of Justice is a first step.
But more is needed – for the children inside Unit 18.
We call for the immediate closure of Unit 18, and to urgently reform WA’s failed youth justice system.
You can end the imprisonment of children in adult prison.
You can choose to listen to the chorus of voices telling you the evidence-based solutions to fix the youth justice system.
You can choose to care for the children your government is responsible for, and act now to prevent another tragedy before it occurs.
Today.

A video is being shared on social media that appears to show an Aboriginal child – only seven years old – being served a violence restraining order from a police officer.

While details are still emerging about exactly what happened in the video, one thing is clear: no child should ever be in such a distressing situation.

The young a person is involved in the criminal justice system, the more likely they are to remain involved for the rest of their life. WA needs to change the system that allowed this to happen.

We need to prioritise the community-based supports that help families to thrive. We can start by raising the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years old and investing in services designed and led by Aboriginal communities.

Link to WAToday article: https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/unlawful-restraining-order-served-on-perth-boy-7-by-mistake-20231107-p5ei79.html

CW: Self harm and su***de.
Damning details continue to emerge from the tragic night in Unit 18 that would lead to the first recorded death in WA's youth detention system.

The ABC today reports how multiple opportunities to save Cleveland Dodd’s life — in the months, weeks and minutes leading up to his death — were all missed.

You can read this full ABC report here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-06/cleveland-dodd-unit-18-death-investigation-unveils-key-failures/103032666

You can also join us in demanding Unit 18 be closed immediately – because children will never belong in an adult maximum-security prison. Send an email to your MP here: https://socialreinvestmentwa.good.do/banksiahillaction/youth-justice-reform/

This news is very distressing. If you need to talk to someone after reading this please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 13YARN (13 92 76) for Mob.

Mechelle Turvey announced as WA Australian of the Year Mechelle Turvey, whose son Cassius was killed in October 2022, is recognised for her advocacy work to prevent violence and in training police officers to show empathy when dealing with victims of crime.

CONTENT WARNING: More allegations of mistreatment at Unit 18.

Teen detainee reveals young WA prisoners left in three-point shackles for hours A 15-year-old detainee is tonight speaking out from inside the notorious Unit 18 youth wing at Casuarina Prison, where 16-year-old Cleveland Dodd recently took his own life.

We are still in awe of the thousands of you who signed the petition that we finally handed over to the WA Attorney-General yesterday.

Congratulations for being part of this movement for change. You sent us your photos, shared with your friends, and put your name to something that can change WA children's lives. All of this is impossible without you.

We will continue to carry the torch and make our voices heard until all primary school aged children are out of prison.

In coming days we'll let you know what the next stages will be for our Raise the Age campaign, and how you can continue to support it. In the meantime - we hope you feel proud of this mammoth effort with us. 15,231 signatures! 💛

👋🎉

More than 15,000 people urge WA Government to raise the age in new petition More than 15,200 West Australians have urged the WA government to raise the age of criminal responsibility in a petition presented to Attorn...

Over 15,000 Western Australians signed a petition to Raise the Age of criminal responsibility to 14. Today, we handed that petition over to the WA government.

This is a major milestone for this movement - and comes after many years of work and thousands of campaigning hours, and tonnes of support from YOU. We want to thank you for putting your name to this, and joining our calls to get primary school aged children out of prison. And a special thank you to the reps for the 30+ orgs for showing up today to celebrate on parliament steps with us.

We now have a clear message for the WA Government - an overwhelming amount of people believe that WA children deserve support in their communities, not behind bars. It’s time to Raise the Age, WA. We hope today brings us one step closer.

A powerful, heart breaking evening in Boorloo last night with hundreds of you showing up to demand justice for Cleveland Dodd, his family, and all the other sacred lives lost to this system.

Thank you to the organisers and all the moving speakers & performers for making the event possible. And most importantly, the family. Who our hearts continue to ache for, who stood strong for their son, grandson, brother and cousin to share their pain, and rally for answers and real change.

We must maintain the rage. This boy deserved better. All kids deserve better. Here are three simple things you can do today to take action:

1. EMAIL YOUR MP ABOUT CLOSING UNIT 18.
We must close the disastrous Unit 18 and end the horrific conditions within youth detention in Western Australia. You can demand better for children by emailing your MP here: https://socialreinvestmentwa.good.do/banksiahillaction/youth-justice-reform/
TIP: We have a suggested email in there for you, but highly suggest personalising it for more impact.

2. SIGN & SHARE THE RAISE THE AGE PETITON.
Under WA law, children as young as 10 can get sent to prison. Raising the age is one step we can take to protect children from harm. We are days away from handing our petition over to the WA Government, so we need your help.
The petition link and a printable petiton is all here: https://socialreinvestmentwa.org.au/rta
(if you print out your own petition, send us your signatures by Tuesday!)

3. SHARE OUR POSTS, TELL YOUR FRIENDS & AMPLIFY VOICES.

Yesterday our community campaigner, Ronald Bin Swani, spoke to the ABC about the calls we've been making for over a year to shut the disastrous Unit 18, the need for real youth justice leadership, and the alternatives that'll actually work to rehabilitate the children in detention.

We can't lose another young person to this system. We will continue to call for action until we see some real commitment from the WA government to shut Unit 18 and get children out of a maximum security adult prison.

You can help us by writing a letter to your MP, demanding action on closing unit 18 - we've made this easy for you here: https://socialreinvestmentwa.good.do/banksiahillaction/youth-justice-reform/
While you're at it, take a few seconds to sign and share our Raise the Age petition so we can get primary school aged children out of prison: https://raisetheage.org.au/

Full ABC article here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-23/roger-cook-unit-18-banksia-hill-department-of-justice/103009400

CONTENT WARNING: This post mentions self-harm and su***de.

"The government had all the information it needed to see what was coming, just like the opposition knew it was coming. Just like everyone involved in youth justice knew it was coming if things didn't change."

How a 16-year-old boy paid the ultimate price for a litany of failures in youth detention The government says harsh conditions in WA juvenile detention are necessary to keep detainees and the community safe. But so far it's failing on both fronts and now a teenager has paid with his life, writes state political reporter Keane Bourke.

Today’s news that a child has died in custody in Western Australia is devastating.

To the family and community of this young boy – SRWA send our heartfelt condolences, solidarity, and strength. We are deeply sorry for the tragic loss of your son, brother, grandson, nephew, and cousin.

He died in custody. Inside a government institution that should have kept him safe. This boy’s death was foreseeable and preventable.

Since July 2022, the WA Government has placed children inside maximum-security adult prison, in a facility called ‘Unit 18’. Children should never be housed in an adult prison.

Since Unit 18 opened in July last year there have been 20 su***de attempts and more
than 350 instances of self-harm.

Just last month, children spent an average of 22 hours and 14 minutes in their cell each day. That’s just 1 hour and 46 minutes outside of their cell a day.

This is cruel, degrading, inhumane, and unlawful.

Experts repeatedly warned of the dangers of Unit 18. Open letters from 100+ organisations were sent to the Premier and Ministers; the Prisons Inspector, Commissioner for Children, and WA Children’s Court all called for action; the Supreme Court ruled that confinement in cells for over 20 hours a day was a violation of our law.

But the WA Government and Department of Justice leaders chose not to act.
Lawyers, child and mental health experts, Aboriginal leaders, families, workers, and the young people detained spoke up. Solutions and alternatives to Unit 18 were provided.

But the WA Government and Department of Justice leaders chose not to listen. A young person has now died in custody. The first in youth detention since modern
records began in WA.

To the WA Government – you can choose to stop this and fix your broken youth justice system. Today.

We call on Premier Cook, Minister Papalia and the WA Government to take
responsibility and close Unit 18 immediately.

Ensure this never occurs to another young person, and this grief never be repeated.

In Solidarity,
Social Reinvestment WA

Email your MP:
https://socialreinvestmentwa.good.do/banksiahillaction/youth-justice-reform/
_

Since July 2022, SRWA has specifically called for the WA Government to:
• Close Unit 18. Children will never belong in an adult maximum-security prison.
• Stop locking children in cells for 20+ hours a day. It is inhumane and unlawful.
• Introduce a trauma-informed, therapeutic model-of-care with experts,
experienced services, and the Aboriginal community, to rehabilitate and treat the
needs of young people incarcerated.
• Raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14, to keep primary school kids
out of prisons.
• Make the system transparent and accountable. This is essential to rebuild any
community trust in a youth justice system that has failed on every measure.
• Establish cross government leadership and vision on youth justice issues
to effectively address underlying causes of offending, build safer communities, and
get better outcomes for everyone.

This is heart shattering.
We are devastated.
Our hearts go out to the family and community at this tragic time. We are deeply sorry for the loss of your son, brother, cousin, nephew, and grandson.

No child should die in the custody of a government institution.

Leaders, experts, advocates and community have consistently called for the WA government to end the inhumane conditions in its children’s prisons for the past two years.

This news is very distressing. If you need to talk to someone after reading this please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 13YARN (13 92 76) for Mob.

Boy dies after being detained in problem-plagued WA prison unit A First Nations teenager dies after being detained in the controversial Unit 18 youth detention wing of WA's adult Casuarina Prison.

CONTENT WARNING: This post mentions self-harm and su***de. ⚠️

Two days after the media reported on comments Unit 18 was “safer and more secure” – a child in that very unit was found unresponsive in their cell, and remains in critical condition.

Not to mention the mountain of damning statistics coming out of the unit month after month. In September alone, there were 19 self-harm attempts, an average of only 1.75hours out of cell, and 497 occasions on which a young person spent 20 or more hours in their cell.

Like we've been saying, the WA government needs to commit to closing Unit 18, and take responsibility for the children and young people in their care.

Our hearts are with the young person, their family and community at the centre of yesterdays tragedy. If this brings anything up for you and you need to talk to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 13YARN (13 92 76) for Mob.

This news is gut-wrenching.

Our hearts are with this young person, their families, and the community.

This is an outcome we have long feared and raised concerns about.

Children being locked alone in cells for 20+ hours a day is inhumane. It is unlawful. It is causing immense harm.

The WA government needs to close Unit 18, and take responsibility for the children & young people in their care.

If this news brings anything up for you and you need to talk to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 13YARN (13 92 76) For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

We are three days away from a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

SRWA’s Co-Chairs, Daniel Morrison-Bird and Glenda Kickett, wished to share their support for the Yes campaign in these final days before the referendum.

We know first-hand that when we empower communities, they can thrive. For the children in our youth justice system, this is more important than ever.

Social Reinvestment WA recognises the diversity in opinion among Aboriginal people and communities on this coming referendum. We would like to acknowledge the strength, resilience and power of First Nations people at every level of the fight for justice, truth-telling, and accountability.

We know these past few months have weighed heavy on Mob. Whatever the outcome - the safety, wellbeing, and respect of First Nations Peoples should be everyone’s priority. Take care of yourselves and look out for one another. Help is available for Mob 24/7 on 13YARN (13 92 76)❤️

Our Principal Manager Sophie was on an incredible panel for the Navigating Youth Justice in WA: Challenges and Possibilities event last week ⚖

Alongside panellists Gerry Georgatos, Jacqueline McGowan-Jones and Dr Hayley Passmore, Sophie got to share and reflect on her expertise and experience in advocacy for youth justice reform in WA, and the barriers that come with it.

Thank you to the UWA Public Policy Institute 2023 Interns for putting on this event and having Social Reinvestment WA on the panel!

We’ll be handing over our Raise the Age petition to the State Government very soon, so we’re heading back to basics – why do we want to Raise the Age to 14?

As a community, we have the responsibility to provide opportunities for our children to grow, thrive, and create their own futures. Locking them up does not work or rehabilitate.

When we are sending children as young as ten years old (Year 5 equivalent) away to be imprisoned, we are failing them.

Western Australia, it’s our turn to Raise the Age. Can you help us get our petition to 20,000 WA signatures before we hand it over to the State Government? If you’ve already signed, can you share the petition with 3 of your friends? 📝 🤞

Head here for the petition 👉 https://raisetheage.org.au/
Head here to join our mailing list 👉 https://socialreinvestmentwa.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=bfb776770e495f44d9b4b9790&id=9a731ee8e1

When campaigners become lecturers 🤓🧠

We are so stoked to have been invited to deliver a couple of guest lectures over the last fortnight.

Ronald and Mason spoke with second year Masters Social Work students at UWA around the current state of youth justice in Western Australia, our vision for a better system based on the evidence of what works, and how social workers can be powerful advocates for individuals and systems.

Other members of the team also had the privilege of guest lecturing for UWA Criminology students and Curtin University law students, too!

Thankyou UWA & Curtin for letting us share our work & expertise with the future changemakers ✊

"A WA prison guard has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a juvenile detainee during a riot in the notorious Unit 18 facility at Casuarina Prison last year. The charge stems from a riot that unfolded at Unit 18 – a hardened facility in an isolated part of maximum-security Casuarina Prison – less than two weeks after the first teenage detainees were transferred there."

Guard accused of assaulting boy 'out of retribution' during riot in notorious Casuarina Prison unit A WA prison guard on trial for assaulting a juvenile detainee in Unit 18 at Casuarina Prison says he acted in "self-preservation", believing the teen was about to walk into him.

FASD assessments for youth detainees are being delayed. The president of WA's Children's Court says it's "bordering on contemptuous."

'Beggars belief': Delays testing vulnerable kids for FASD condemned by Children's Court president The case of a teenage boy in detention shines a light on how some of WA's most vulnerable children are missing out on support for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder due to a crippling shortage of child health professionals.

Deadly! Our Engagement Lead Michael headed along to Midland NAIDOC yesterday. Not only did he snag over three pages worth of signatures on our Raise the Age petition, he also got this happy snap with former AFL star Winston Abraham! 🖤💛❤️

MUST READ: The man tasked with overhauling WA's youth detention system has not had his contract for the role renewed by the state government.

Architect of potential solution to WA's troubled youth detention system let go after six months The man charged with implementing a new "model of care" for the problem-plagued Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre does not have his contract for the role renewed by the WA government.

The Disability Royal Commission has handed down a damning new report singling out Western Australia's youth detention system.

With an entire chapter on youth justice, it found WA was illegally confining children with disabilities in their cells amounting to solitary confinement, and breaching human rights standards.

Link in comments.

BREAKING: Banksia Hill’s senior youth custodial officers will soon be armed with pepper spray inside the facility “as a last resort option for protection” - via The West Australian: https://thewest.com.au/politics/cook-governments-extraordinary-move-to-arm-senior-banksia-hill-youth-custodial-officers-with-pepper-spray-c-12007979