John Lawrence criticises government over the new Don Dale

Barrister John Lawrence, who represented children at the NT Royal Commission into youth justice, has criticised the Government for placement of the new youth prison at Holtze.

NT Barrister John Lawrence criticised plans for a new juvenile corrections facility in Holtze. Picture: Justin Kennedy

BARRISTER John Lawrence, who represented children at the Royal Commission into youth justice in the NT, has criticised the Territory Government for its decision to place a new Darwin Youth Justice Centre next to the adult Correctional Centre in Holtze.

Mr Lawrence expressed his frustration on ABC Radio at the proximity and design of the facility.

“What they’re proposing to do now is the opposite, or contrary to what the royal commission recommended which was a detention centre for juveniles which shouldn’t be part of the prison, as in adjacent of course to the adult prison,” he said.

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“Children are completely different to adult prisoners and therefore should be elsewhere in a different way and manner by different people qualified experienced people.

“They need to be placed in a facility which is first and foremost run by people who are qualified and experienced in dealing with delinquent youths in a facility that is geographically and physically more appropriate for the process of dealing with them there, as opposed, you can well imagine that the facility it going to be, it will just be another concrete bunker to the horrendous site which is the Holtze prison.”

Mr Lawrence said Aboriginal leaders needed to be more involved in the rehabilitation of indigenous youths.

“Territory Corrections are totally incapable of running juvenile justice, they’re were nowhere near up to he job they have no idea how to do this effectively appropriately and humanely and quite frankly their leaders have no interest in doing this appropriately, effectively and humanely,” he said.

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“These juvenile justice systems should now be in the hands of Aboriginal people, it should be controlled and run by Aboriginal people and Aboriginal organisers which can deal with this problem from the moment they leave the court under some form of sentence because we cannot do it.

“We are an abject failure and in fact in the last decade and more we just get worse and worse at it. It costs the community a fortune and its inappropriate its going nowhere.”

Attorney-General Natasha Fyles insisted the new facility would improve youth crime in the Territory.

“We want to stop crime before it happens, that’s why we need to invest in young people, we need to make sure we have opportunities but if they do the wrong thing there has to be consequences in place,” she said.

“So this facility will certainly be tailored to young people to help them get back on track but also understand the consequences to their actions.”