Corrective Services

Greens spokesperson for Corrective Services Hon Alison Xamon MLC has welcomed the publication of the Telethon Kids Institute research which details the extent of neurodevelopmental disability amongst young people currently held in custody at Banksia Hill.

“While the findings paint a heartbreaking picture, they are an important step to better understanding the reasons these children are offending in the first place,” Ms Xamon said.

The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services, released last night, has revealed WA has the country’s second highest imprisonment rate after NT, and the highest imprisonment rate of Aboriginals.

Ms Xamon labelled the statistics “shameful”.

“Instead of locking more Aboriginal people up, at exorbitant cost to the community, the Minister should be focussing on ways to keep people out of prison and to rehabilitate those who come before the justice system,” said Ms Xamon.