Premier Daniel Andrews announces youth justice reforms, new youth jail considered

RIOTING teen inmates and skyrocketing youth crime has forced the State Government to bring forward plans to consider a new youth jail.

• Crackdown on adults who lure kids to crime
• Homeowner stabs teen intruder
• $10m bill for youth jail riots
• Safety fears amid youth crime wave
• Enforcer running crime empire from jail
• Calls for major teen jail overhaul

A NEW youth justice centre may be built in Victoria after rioting teens caused millions of dollars of damage at Parkville.

The Andrews Government had brought forward a business case to rebuild and potentially upgrade the current Parkville facility to deal with a growing youth crime problem that has seen more teens on remand.

The government has shifted the rioters who took over Parkville to a special wing of the Barwon Prison while it assessed the damage, and has declared that the current facility was no longer fit for purpose.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced as part of a sweeping youth justice reform package today that it may be necessary to build another centre altogether, rather than just upgrade the current centre.

“It’s not yet determined whether that will constitute a large upgrade at Parkville or whether a new facility will need to be built somewhere else,” he said.

Police prepare to the Parkville centre following teen inmate riots in November. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Teens causing havoc at Parkville.

Riot police were called in to quell unrest. Picture: Seven News

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced fresh measures to combat a youth crime wave. Picture: Nicole Garmston

“I think we are probably more likely to have to build a new facility on a green field site, at a different site other than Parkville,” he said.

The latest announcements follow an earlier revelation of new strict bail monitoring of youth offenders, longer maximum detention sentences, and new control orders for out of control teens are among radical new youth justice reforms.

Mr Andrews unveiled the package this morning, saying existing laws and supervision of teens must be made tougher to keep the state safe.

Damage caused by rioters at the Parkville youth detention centre in May and June this year.

The new control orders will establish new curfews or education plans for offenders, with any teen who doesn’t meet the conditions of the orders locked up.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said action on youth crime was long overdue but warned the new measures announced by Mr Andrews were political.

“The announcement made by the State Government today smacks of tokenism,’’ Mr Guy said.

“This government has been denying for two years there is a law and order crisis but they are finally admitting it.

“How can Victorians trust Daniel Andrews to say that he’ll get more police on the beat when he is the one closing stations?”

As revealed by the Herald Sun today, a new “Fagin’s law” targeting older criminals who groom teens to commit crimes for them will also be part of law changes.

Mr Guy slammed the proposed “Fagin’s Law” saying the offence was already covered by current legislation and the new penalties proposed by the Government were less than the jail sentences currently on offer.

Police have been forced to increase their response to youth gangs and crime, which came to public prominence following the Moomba riots. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

He also raised concern the moves to increase the maximum sentence for young criminals and the promise to shift serious cases to adult courts may not be applied by the Victorian Children’s Court.

The Children’s Court will be overhauled amid the unprecedented crackdown with the maximum sentence for youths to be increased to an unprecedented four years, up from three.

It will also be made easier to prosecute underage offenders in adult courts.

The raft of changes will cost $32 million.

“What we know is the fact that every Victorian has the right to feel safe,” Mr Andrews said.

“This really is a very important reform and it is fully funded.”

Attorney General Martin Pakula said increasing the maximum sentence from three to four years was an “important” move.