The $32 million refurbished Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre, which the Lawler Government says will include “high-tech security systems” and new body scanners to keep young offenders, staff and the community safe, is expected to be operational next month.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler and Territory Families Minister Ngaree Ah Kit toured the 22-bed facility on Tuesday, which they described as “state of the art” and ready to “deliver a stronger justice system while helping offenders’ reintegration into society, and reducing re-offending in communities”.

Now undergoing its final fit-out, the Chief Minister said the centre is a first of its kind in the country with the new high-tech security systems, including new body scanners as suggested by the Royal Commission.

“The refurbished Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre gets the balance right between ensuring that youth offenders face consequences but also that time spent in detention can be used to get our young people back on track,” Chief Minister Eva Lawler said.

The centre is designed to deliver a wide range of programs for detainees including:

– Purpose-built spaces for inmate rehabilitation such as counselling, alcohol and other drugs programs and cultural healing;

-Capacity-building and educational services to develop job-readiness and life skills;

-Improved visiting area with children’s playground for visiting families with children in tow; and

-Medical, dental, and mental health support services.

HAVE A LOOK INSIDE THE NEW FACILITY:

[embedpress]https://youtu.be/9P8k-k8RBE8[/embedpress]

To strengthen the centre’s programs and services, the government said Youth Justice Officers are currently undergoing training for the newly installed equipment before young offenders are transferred to the centre starting next month.

“We know when kids do the wrong thing and end up on remand or in detention, that locking them up in facilities that don’t provide the ability to deliver evidence-based programs and support doesn’t work,” Minister for Territory Families Ngaree Ah Kit said.

“We’re delivering a youth detention facility that will make it easier for our dedicated youth justice offices to do their job and more attractive for us to recruit new staff. We’re also one of the first jurisdictions in the country to design an accessible facility to cater for people with disability who want to work there.”

In a press release announcing the facility, the Lawler Government said it had spent “the last 7.5 years overhauling the youth justice system to make sure we continue to deliver effective, evidence-based supports and responses in youth justice”.

Opposition youth justice spokesman Bill Yan said while the CLP welcomed the expanded facility, he was concerned that delays to its delivery have caused issues and the budget has blown out.

“The delay has meant difficulties for youth detention here in Central Australia, they’ve had to wait some time for this facility,” he said.

“My question now is are these facilities going to be big enough leading into the future? The design and concept was many, may years ago and the landscape has certainly changed in relation to youth detention since and we’re seeing more and more young people ending up in our youth detention centre.”

The new Darwin Youth Detention Centre is still under construction and after repeated delays, the government said it is due for completion mid-year.