Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre: former worker speaks out

Former Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre worker and union organiser Gino Di Candilo said members had told him of their terror when inmates “went into a frenzy”.`

• The extraordinary Central Coast coral that’s amazing scientists
• Pretty Beach community at war over family’s dream home

A former Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre youth officer turned union organiser said staff members are hampered by an inability to dole out meaningful punishment to detainees.

Gino Di Candilo, who worked at the centre for 16 years until 2011, said he was concerned for the health and safety of his former colleagues.

“I was speaking to a female staff member and she said it was the first time she’d ever been scared — they just went into a frenzy,” he said.

While there has been conjecture as to what weapons were used by the inmates, Mr Di Candilo said he was told by members that it included knives.

“When you’re being chased by a mob of up to 30 detainees at night, you’re not going to hang around — they’ve got weapons, so you get out of there,” he said.

He added the Public Service Association had been saying for three years that “something like this was going to happen”.

Riot police lead a detainee away in handcuffs during a riot at the Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre, Kariong on Monday. Picture: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi

“(The Government) kept cutting the budget, with less staff and less for the kids to do,” Mr Di Candilo said.

He said there was a need for legislation to be changed to give youth officers the ability to have more power.

“The staff have lost the confidence in the ability to hand out consequences.”

He said the meaningful consequence for bad behaviour is a punishment of 24 hours of confinement for those over 15 years of age.

“One of the members told me if they do something else during that period of confinement, they can’t receive another period of confinement,” Mr Di Candilo said.

Inmates from the Frank Baxter Juvenile corrections centre Kariong taunt police from the roofs of various buildings. Picture: John Grainger

“Whereas in the past, if they mucked up in confinement, it was a new incident.”

Mr Di Candilo conceded that there were less programs on offer for detainees but dismissed claims they were “not supported”.

“They have every chance to take part in programs, return to schooling and they have psychs on top,” he said.

“They have more opportunities then some young people out there in the community.”

He said it was lucky that no staff were seriously injured physically “but mental health issues can come out down the track”.