Parent training in parole plan
Parents could be required to take part in programs to help them provide better homes as a condition of their child's release from detention under a plan by the head of the juvenile parole board.
Former Supreme Court justice Michael Murray proposed the approach in a bid to ease the difficulty of being unable to find a safe and supportive home environment for young offenders due to be released from detention.
He wants the law changed to give his Supervised Release Review Board the power to impose a condition that parents attend programs, such as "Strong Families" or a similar course provided by the Department for Child Protection, as part of parole orders for juvenile offenders.
Corrective Services Minister Joe Francis supported the proposal yesterday, saying it had merit. He said the Youth Justice Board would give it serious consideration.
In the Supervised Release Board's annual report, tabled in State Parliament yesterday, Mr Murray highlighted research showing links to juvenile crime from young people being introduced to drugs by adults within their extended family.
He said a parental figure was often happy to attempt to deal with the problems and there were programs to help.
A release condition for parents to join a program would not be coercive but remain voluntary, though failing to comply could result in the board changing the juvenile parole order's terms.
Mr Murray said problems with a lack of suitable accommodation for young offenders also had to be addressed. He said accommodation issues resulted in parole decisions being deferred 58 times last year and in 17 of those, the delay was significant.
"The numbers are not great but the outcome, for no fault of the young person, is a disaster which can have a profound effect on the capacity to achieve rehabilitation," Mr Murray said.
He also called for offenders who turned 18 in detention to be moved to Wandoo or held in a separate unit at Banksia Hill, saying he was concerned about jailed adults mixing with children.
Mr Francis said the Children's Court reviewed cases where juveniles serving terms of detention turned 18 and he could envisage examples where it would not be appropriate to send a young offender to an adult prison.
Mr Francis said the Young Offenders Act was being reviewed and most of the 140 juveniles in detention came from disadvantaged backgrounds. He said the idea of parole conditions for parents could be considered.
