Riots continue at Parkville Youth Justice Centre in Melbourne
UPDATE: RAMPAGING teenage detainees now face being thrown in adult jails after another riot at Parkville’s Youth Justice Centre, which ended tonight after pizzas were delivered earlier.
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RAMPAGING teenage detainees now face being thrown in adult jails after the latest riot at Parkville’s Youth Justice Centre.
Two days of anarchy descended into farce yesterday when a Domino’s pizza delivery man arrived during a tense police lockdown.
He was carrying four large Hawaiian and meatlover’s pizzas, plus garlic bread and soft drink.
The Department of Health and Human Services’s secure services director, Ian Lanyon, refused to say whether the pizzas were a bribe for rioters, saying it was an “operational issue”.
But later, DHHS spokesman David Stockman insisted: “No pizza has been offered to, or given to, youths at Parkville Youth Justice Centre today.”
Brazen thugs aged 15 to 18 had barricaded themselves inside the centre after clashing with centre staff and demanding junk food.
Control was finally restored tonight.
But hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage had been caused to security equipment, rooms, and rooftop access points.
Victoria Police tonight confirmed officers had left a juvenile justice facility tonight after a weekend of chaotic riots.
No injuries were reported, and all youths had been accounted for, with police the process of handing control of the situation back to the Human Services department tonight.
It comes as the rioting teens could be shipped to adult prisons because of extensive damage to the facility.
Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos this afternoon said the incident was ongoing and revealed a number of the rioters would be sent to adult facilities, but wouldn’t say how many.
Ms Mikakos also announced the Parkville Youth Justice Centre would undergo a major upgrade after a number of facilities have been seriously damaged by riots in recent days.
She wouldn’t say how much the upgrade would cost but admitted the current facilities were “not fit for purpose”.
“The behaviour exhibited is disgraceful and it will not be tolerated by the Andrews Government,” she said.
Late today, police continued to come and go at the centre.
Three cars carrying special operations officers left the facility at 5.40pm.
Mr Lanyon earlier said the rioters were aged between 15 and 18 but would not say how many were involved.
Asked whether four large pizzas, garlic bread and soft drink — seen being delivered by a Domino’s delivery driver — were being used to coax the youths from stopping their riots, Mr Lanyon said: “Once again, operational issues I’m not going to discuss at this point in time.”
“Our focus is solely on resolving this incident.
“Feeding our staff and feeding our clients, that is an operational issue and I’m not going to go into the details at this point.”
Earlier it was revealed that plans were being made to shift some of the inmates, after two nights of rampages that have left some units trashed and at least a dozen teens barricaded inside another unit.
It is understood the Youth Parole Board and Corrections Victoria have been approached by the Andrews Government to sign off on the plan.
The Youth Parole Board has the power to send teens to a full-scale jail, but rarely uses it.
Locking teens in adult facilities has been done in other states, but is hugely controversial.
The Herald Sun understands the Andrews Government is scrambling to ensure other options are available for youth inmates, with the state’s other facility in Malmsbury already overcrowded.
Temporary stopgaps, such as locking teens in police cells, are already under consideration, but a longer-term option will be needed until youth justice beds can be reopened.
Pizzas arrived at the troubled centre this afternoon just weeks after authorities at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre used the unusual tactic of bribing teen rioters to come down from a roof by offering them pizza and soft drinks.
Police earlier flooded the centre where youths barricaded themselves inside a unit as tensions rise.
The Herald Sun understands the police’s Critical Incident Response Team and dog squad were called in after another incident broke out last night.
Sources said about 12 young offenders had barricaded themselves inside a unit.
Police rushed into the unit about 9am.
Inmates have damaged fire sprinklers inside the units, sources said.
All of the youths have been accounted for, after 20 inmates were believed missing, following the overnight of breakout of 30.
Sources inside the prison said earlier reports that fires had been lit inside the prison are incorrect.
The Department of Health and Human Services also said reports of fires were incorrect.
Ambulance, police and fire crews have been on standby at the youth prison since last night.
DHHS spokesman David Stockman said all young people were contained in the centre.
“Youth justice staff and Victoria Police are working to resolve an incident at the Parkville Youth Justice Centre,” Mr Stockman said.
“The perimeter is secure and there is no threat to the community.
“The behaviour of these clients is unacceptable and staff shouldn’t have to tolerate it.”
Police said earlier this morning said they were continuing to try and bring calm among the teen inmates but would not comment any further.
Shadow Minister for Children Georgie Crozier told 3AW that sources had revealed to her a “seriously chaotic” situation with “lots of mayhem” overnight.
Ms Crozier said about 30 kids had broke out of their units.
“It does sound like it’s still a very serious situation at Parkville,” she said.
“It’s not being resolved.”
Ms Crozier criticised the Andrews Government, saying a tougher approach was needed for the teen “thugs” with five incidents reported in the youth detention centre in the last six weeks.
“This situation just can’t go on,” she said. “These kids are being rewarded for their actions.
“They are just being rewarded with pizza and soft drink. I think it needs to be tougher. The government needs to stop pussyfooting around.”
The overnight rampage comes after a riot broke out in the youth jail on Saturday night where up to 30 rampaging teen inmates trashed their cells and pulled security cameras from the walls.
Some of the youth had climbed on the roof armed with garden tools.
The inmates demanded soft drink and junk food while holding authorities at bay.
It is estimated at least $1 million in damage was caused.
Police in riot gear eventually calmed the teens.
POLICE PROBE LATEST PARKVILLE RIOT
Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos condemned the “completely unacceptable behaviour”.
“We are developing a range of tougher measures to ensure we put a stop to this,” she said.
Sources said one of the ringleaders, who had led another riot there last week, cut his hand after punching doors to the isolation area.
“But an ambulance wouldn’t go on-site without police escort,” the source said.
“Ten police formed up and guided the ambos (to the boy).
“They wanted soft drink and junk food, more phone calls. Both units have been utterly destroyed inside.”
Up to 30 inmates broke into the programs building where tools including sledgehammers and shovels were kept.
“They got hold of a radio, a ladder, made demands from the roof,” a source said.