Tasmanian Liberals election promise to 'crack down' on young offenders questioned in wake of Ashley findings
1 year ago

Tasmanian Liberals election promise to 'crack down' on young offenders questioned in wake of Ashley findings

ABC  

In short: As part of their election campaign ahead of the March 23 election, the Tasmanian Liberals say they will recruit more police, toughen penalties for hooning, road rage and theft and "deploy a strike force" to target serial criminals. Labor says the plan "misunderstands the reason we're seeing crime occur", while Tasmania's children's commissioner says "we cannot arrest our way out of these complex problems". Jeremy Rockliff says there is "a new generation of criminals bragging about theft, assault, hooning and worse on social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat and it's disgusting". Tasmanian Liberal leader and Premier Jeremy Rockliff said there was a "new generation of criminals bragging about theft, assault, hooning and worse on social media platforms like TikTok and SnapChat and it's disgusting". " Policy will 'entrench further youth offending into the future' The Ashley Youth Detention Centre near Deloraine, Tasmania's only custodial facility for young offenders, has been described as a "place of torture and horror".

Crime Social Media Youth Labor Election Detention Road Rage Young Young People Liberals Child Sexual Abuse Tasmanian Our Community Jeremy Rockliff Greens Tasmanians Luke Bowden Tasmanian Liberal Tasmanian Liberals  tasmanian  offenders  crime  place  crack  election  detention  findings  wake  tasmanias  promise  rockliff  young  youth  liberals  questioned

History of this topic

Judge set to rule on settlement for former Ashley Youth Detention Centre detainees
4 months ago

Judge set to rule on settlement for former Ashley Youth Detention Centre detainees

ABC  

A Tasmanian Supreme Court judge is set to rule on whether a $75 million compensation payment for 129 former detainees of the state's only youth prison be approved. In Tasmania's first class action, it was alleged the former inmates had suffered, witnessed or were threatened with sexual abuse, serious physical abuse, and false imprisonment while at the Ashley Youth Detention …

Ashley Youth Detention Centre replacement facilities shelved for community-service approach by Tasmanian government
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Ashley Youth Detention Centre replacement facilities shelved for community-service approach by Tasmanian government

ABC  

The Tasmanian government appears to have shelved four out of the five facilities it was going to build to replace the state's troubled youth detention centre. Labelled a "gladiator pit" and a "prison for kids" the horrors of the Ashley Youth Detention Centre spilled into the spotlight during the state's Commission of Inquiry into Government Responses to Child Sexual Abuse …

The things both Liberals and Labor agree on, as Tasmania's state election looms
1 year ago

The things both Liberals and Labor agree on, as Tasmania's state election looms

ABC  

Tasmania's political parties and independent candidates have been making their pitches to voters for the past six weeks, since Premier Jeremy Rockliff called an early election. Ashley Youth Detention Centre closure The Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings recommended closing the Ashley Youth Detention Centre in northern Tasmania "as soon as …

Tasmania moving to new youth justice model after inquiry finds widespread system failures
1 year, 3 months ago

Tasmania moving to new youth justice model after inquiry finds widespread system failures

ABC  

In short: The Tasmanian government is embarking on a decade-long reform of the state's youth justice system, after a commission of inquiry found widespread harm for young people. The Tasmanian government is embarking on a decade-long reform of the state's youth justice system, after a commission of inquiry found widespread harm for young people. It follows a commission of inquiry …

Tasmanian government releases official response to child sexual abuse inquiry report
1 year, 3 months ago

Tasmanian government releases official response to child sexual abuse inquiry report

ABC  

Tasmania's Premier has promised to rebuild trust in government departments and institutions that failed to protect children from sexual abuse. Three months after the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional settings handed down its almost 3,000-page report, the government has released its full response, entitled Keeping Children Safe and Rebuilding Trust. Tasmania's …

Child inmates at risk of abuse in Ashley detention centre, Tasmanian inquiry warns, but Pontville option years off
1 year, 6 months ago

Child inmates at risk of abuse in Ashley detention centre, Tasmanian inquiry warns, but Pontville option years off

ABC  

Quick read In short: The sexual abuse of children at Ashley Youth Detention Centre, Tasmania's only custodial facility for youth inmates, "remains a live and current risk" and not a thing of the past, a commission of inquiry has found. Premier Jeremy Rockliff says "if there was any capacity to close it now, we would" — but the lack of …

Inside Tasmania's youth detention centre, repeat offenders are writing songs about change
1 year, 6 months ago

Inside Tasmania's youth detention centre, repeat offenders are writing songs about change

ABC  

Children awaiting sentencing can spend up to 23 hours a day locked in a cell inside Tasmania's only youth detention centre, the children's commissioner says. Head of the inquiry, Marcia Neave, says it was the commission's view that the Ashley Youth Detention Centre should be closed as a "matter of urgency". "There is no child in detention at Ashley Youth …

'I thought I was going to die': Former youth detainee says staff turned off fire sprinklers
1 year, 8 months ago

'I thought I was going to die': Former youth detainee says staff turned off fire sprinklers

ABC  

In short: A former detainee claims he was injured in a fire that escalated because staff had turned off fire sprinklers. The department is investigating the fire that was deliberately lit by a detainee at the facility A former detainee at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre says he suffered burns in a fire that escalated because the facility's sprinkler system …

Investigators say fire at Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania deliberately lit
1 year, 9 months ago

Investigators say fire at Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania deliberately lit

ABC  

In short: A worker was taken to hospital for observation following a fire at Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention Centre on Sunday, prompting calls for safer staffing levels. A worker was taken to hospital for observation following a fire at Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention Centre on Sunday, prompting calls for safer staffing levels. : Fire investigators say the fire was deliberately …

The hidden report that spells out the dismal failures of youth detention policy in Australia
2 years, 4 months ago

The hidden report that spells out the dismal failures of youth detention policy in Australia

ABC  

It's a report that politicians don't want you to see. Four Corners, as part of an investigation into ongoing abuses within youth detention, has obtained a report of the Council of Attorneys-General review examining the age of criminal responsibility. "The Commonwealth, State and Territory governments should raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years of age, without exception," …

Nine ministers had oversight of the Ashley Youth Detention Centre, but all of them were absent from the abuse inquiry
2 years, 6 months ago

Nine ministers had oversight of the Ashley Youth Detention Centre, but all of them were absent from the abuse inquiry

ABC  

Australians have heard shocking and harrowing evidence over recent weeks about young people being mistreated while incarcerated at Tasmania's only juvenile detention centre. Photo shows A graphic showing a medical worker with blackened face looking at a folder in front of a sign reading: LGH Emergency After horrific tales of invasive strip searches, beatings and gang rapes, Tasmania's Commission of …

Former Ashley Youth Detention Centre detainees lodge class action over alleged abuse
2 years, 7 months ago

Former Ashley Youth Detention Centre detainees lodge class action over alleged abuse

ABC  

More than 100 former detainees of Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention Centre have lodged a class action in Tasmania's Supreme Court, alleging they were whipped, kicked, bullied, encouraged to join gangs, sexually abused and stripped naked. Key points: The court documents detail the claims of the four men dating back to the early 1990s One man alleged that he found the …

Four former Ashley Youth Detention Centre residents sue Tasmanian government over alleged abuse
2 years, 7 months ago

Four former Ashley Youth Detention Centre residents sue Tasmanian government over alleged abuse

ABC  

Another four former residents of Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania's north are taking legal action against the Tasmanian government over allegations they were sexually and physically abused by guards while in the care of the facility. Key points: Court documents show one child who was a detainee at the facility in 1996 was allegedly pinned down in his room …

Tasmania set to be first jurisdiction to raise minimum age of children in youth detention
2 years, 9 months ago

Tasmania set to be first jurisdiction to raise minimum age of children in youth detention

ABC  

At about 11 years old, Alexander* found himself in Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention Centre. Key points: Advocates hope raising the age of detention is also a step towards raising the age of criminal responsibility The change will come into force in 2024 A former youth detainee has called for more diversionary programs to help keep young people out of the …

As Ashley Youth Detention Centre closes, Tasmania looking at new programs for at-risk youth
3 years, 4 months ago

As Ashley Youth Detention Centre closes, Tasmania looking at new programs for at-risk youth

ABC  

At a rural property in south-east Tasmania, boys have been put through their paces in what's believed to be an Australian first. Key points: Tasmania will shut the Ashley Youth Detention Centre over the next three years and replace it with a therapeutic model of care JCP Youth director Will Smith says he has had success with a camp for …

Commission of inquiry into child sexual abuse in Tasmanian institutions begins
3 years, 5 months ago

Commission of inquiry into child sexual abuse in Tasmanian institutions begins

ABC  

Picturesque Launceston is a small city in a small state, with a population of about 70,000 people living around the Tamar River. 'Sorry doesn't fix the years of suffering': Survivor angry police ignored allegations Photo shows Sexual abuse survivor Keelie McMahon looks at the camera. The shocking revelations came after the state was rocked by a series of historical child …

Why wasn't the Ashley Youth Detention Centre closed earlier?
3 years, 6 months ago

Why wasn't the Ashley Youth Detention Centre closed earlier?

ABC  

It's been easy for Tasmanian governments to avoid listening to the voices of children locked up in the Ashley Youth Detention Centre. More than 120 people have joined a class action against the Tasmanian government, claiming they were abused while in the care of the state at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre. "What kept Ashley Youth Detention Centre open after …

Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania's north to close down and be replaced by two new facilities
3 years, 6 months ago

Ashley Youth Detention Centre in Tasmania's north to close down and be replaced by two new facilities

ABC  

Tasmania's troubled youth detention centre will be closed and replaced with a therapeutic model of care, in a significant change of direction announced by the state government. Key points: Two separate facilities across the state will replace the Ashley Youth Detention Centre over the next three years The centre has been the subject of sexual abuse claims and is the …

Female Ashley detention worker alleges bullying and sexual harassment
3 years, 10 months ago

Female Ashley detention worker alleges bullying and sexual harassment

ABC  

Female employees of Tasmania's troubled Ashley Youth Detention Centre say they were subject to sexist, bullying behaviour by other staff while working at the facility. Key points: One woman alleges she was "subjected to severe bullying" by some staff The worker ultimately went on stress leave Another woman alleges she left her job following severe bullying One woman was brought …

Ashley Youth Detention Centre staffer accused of rape was not stood down for 10 months, Tasmanian Parliament hears
4 years ago

Ashley Youth Detention Centre staffer accused of rape was not stood down for 10 months, Tasmanian Parliament hears

ABC  

Management at Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention Centre knew a staff member had been accused of a rape for 10 months before standing them down, according to a claim made in Tasmania's Parliament. Greens leader Cassy O'Connor told Parliament management became aware of a potential incident involving a staff member and a teenager at the facility in January 2020. "How can …

Staffer accused of Ashley Youth Detention Centre abuse promoted
4 years, 3 months ago

Staffer accused of Ashley Youth Detention Centre abuse promoted

ABC  

An employee of Tasmania's only youth detention centre was promoted after allegations of serious misconduct were made against them, the ABC can reveal. Key points: Greens leader Cassy O'Connor told Parliament she's had numerous complaints from the public disputing Government claims Ashley is safe for children She wants confirmation whether a staff member stood down after rape allegations had recently …

Rape accusations against three government departments — what comes next?
4 years, 4 months ago

Rape accusations against three government departments — what comes next?

ABC  

Staff across three Tasmanian government departments have been accused of raping children in their care in a series of shocking allegations that date back to at least the 1970s. Instead, the Government has announced three separate inquiries: one apiece into the Education and Health Departments, and another into allegations of misconduct at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre. Education and health …

Redactions fail reveals serious deficiencies in Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention Centre
5 years, 5 months ago

Redactions fail reveals serious deficiencies in Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention Centre

ABC  

The Tasmanian Government has accidentally released details of a damning report revealing serious security deficiencies and issues surrounding the use of force at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre. Key points: Ashley Youth Detention Centre "houses juvenile offenders of both sexes aged 10-18 years", the government says The 50-bed facility was established at its current location in 1922 and is Tasmania's …

Aboriginal girl 'traumatised' after police strip-search in Hobart
6 years, 2 months ago

Aboriginal girl 'traumatised' after police strip-search in Hobart

ABC  

The strip-search of a 13-year-old Aboriginal girl who was held in custody for allegedly breaking a curfew has been criticised by her family and Indigenous advocates. Key points: 13yo teenage girl stripped of clothes while held overnight Girl's grandmother describes it as a "violation of human rights" Authorities say procedures for minors were followed The minor was arrested and detained …

Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention report flags 'worrying staff behaviours'
8 years, 6 months ago

Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention report flags 'worrying staff behaviours'

ABC  

A report into Tasmania's Ashley Youth Detention Centre has been critical of staff practices at the facility. The report also found the centre's environment had the potential to lead to clashes between the youth detainees and staff: "The residential experience for young people in their living units left a lot to be desired. "Extreme boredom was expressed by many of …

Ashley Youth Detention Centre staff member's use of restraint prompts series of investigations
8 years, 7 months ago

Ashley Youth Detention Centre staff member's use of restraint prompts series of investigations

ABC  

The conduct of an Ashley Youth Detention Centre employee in restraining a young person during an incident was "of such gravity" there will be a formal state service investigation when a Tasmanian police probe finishes. Key points: Police investigating potential for criminal charges against a centre staff member A formal state service investigation will then examine if incorrect restraint was …

Ashley Youth Detention standoff: worker stood down after clash with detainees
8 years, 7 months ago

Ashley Youth Detention standoff: worker stood down after clash with detainees

ABC  

The Tasmanian Government has confirmed that one Ashley Youth Detention Centre worker was temporarily stood down after clashing with inmates last month. The incident, involving young offenders allegedly using makeshift glass weapons, has now been referred to the Commissioner for Police and the Department is also preparing an urgent report. Premier Will Hodgman said workers had also made complaints to …

Ashley youth detention: Children's Commissioner wants independent monitoring of Tasmanian centre
8 years, 7 months ago

Ashley youth detention: Children's Commissioner wants independent monitoring of Tasmanian centre

ABC  

Tasmania's Children's Commissioner believes a review of staff conduct at the state's only youth detention centre makes the case for independent monitoring. It is understood a group of teenage boys smashed windows and threatened staff at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre at Deloraine in the state's north. "I've been a long-time advocate for independent monitoring of youth justice detention centres …

Tasmanian Liberals pledge millions for youth crime prevention programs
11 years ago

Tasmanian Liberals pledge millions for youth crime prevention programs

ABC  

The Tasmanian Liberals are promising to spend $5.3 million on programs aimed at keeping young people in school and out of prison. Liberal spokeswoman Jacquie Petrusma says the policy is designed to drive down Tasmania's comparatively high rate of youth crime. "We believe that these programs, because they're early intervention, will decrease our youth crime rate, which is a win-win …

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