Cleveland Youth Detention Centre report backlog blamed on ‘organisational changes’, again

A backlog of regular reports into Townsville’s Cleveland Youth Detention Centre has again been blamed on organisational changes for the second year running.

A BACKLOG of regular ­reports into Townsville’s Cleveland Youth Detention Centre has again been blamed on organisational changes for the second year running.

That’s despite Child Safety and Youth Minister Di Farmer saying a year ago that her department had implemented processes to help have reports issued closer to the reporting quarter.

The State Government has not published a quarterly report on either Cleveland or the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre since the March edition in July.

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Queensland Minister for Child Safety Di Farmer. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)

Prior to 2018, reports on the two facilities were regularly made public throughout the year.

In December 2018, Ms Farmer blamed “organisational changes” for the delay.

A Department of Youth Justice spokeswoman said the “further organisational” changes were behind this year’s wait.

“We expect shorter time frames for report releases in future, beginning with the September report which will be released in January,” the spokeswoman said.

“There is no set time frame for the release of Youth Detention Centre reports, however the department makes them publicly available in the interests of transparency and accountability.”

In the last report, inspectors found a disparity between how young prisoners are searched in juvenile detention centres in Brisbane and Townsville.

The State Government accepted the recommendation that less invasive search methods should be implemented, including allowing children to wear gowns when they are searched.

The LNP took a swipe at the State Government for not publishing the reports more frequently.

“Townsville’s youth justice system is plagued by crisis management and cover-up,” Deputy Leader Tim Mander said.

“It’s systematic of the Palaszczuk Labor Government that is more interested in secret reports than fixing a broken system.

“Labor’s youth crime crisis continues to put our community safety at risk and is treating our police like babysitters.”

Originally published as Cleveland Youth Detention Centre report backlog blamed on ‘organisational changes’, again