Statement from the Minister for Corrections: Damage to Holtze Youth Detention Centre

8 November 2024

Today I was informed of extensive damage to the new Holtze Youth Detention Centre, a facility that only became operational this week.

In a deliberate act of vandalism, six youth detainees aged between 13 and 17 damaged seven individual bedrooms. In each case, the rooms were damaged in just under 30 minutes, in intervals between officers' routine checks.

It is estimated the damage bill is close to $200,000. Our Government will not dismiss this as wear and tear; it is calculated destruction.

Damage includes smashed wash basins, metal intercom panels torn from bedroom walls, and metal plate light and power sockets ripped from walls, leaving live wires exposed.

These rooms are now inoperable while urgent repairs are undertaken.

Let me be absolutely clear. This is destructive criminal damage and will not be tolerated.

There is a police investigation underway, and I have made clear to the Corrections Commissioner that I expect a thorough review of all policies and procedures, staff training, and an assessment of whether staff have access to adequate equipment, and if infrastructure reinforcements are needed.

I am releasing the below images showing the damage at Holtze, alongside makeshift weapons seized from a youth detainees’ room in Alice Springs, and photos of a recent assault on a senior Youth Justice Officer (YJO) in Alice Springs to provide a snapshot of the risks of the job:

• On Tuesday, a youth detainee at the Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre (ASYDC) assaulted two YJOs, striking one with a broom before punching both officers in the face. The detainee also spat in the face of both officers.
• On the same day, two youth detainees attacked a senior YJO, also at the ASYDC. In the process of being restrained, one of the detainees bit the YJO twice on the lower torso and spat directly in his face, twice.
• The youth detainees involved in the assaults were transferred, yesterday, from Alice Springs to the new Holtze Youth Detention Centre, under secure escort on a charter flight.

For too long, the previous Labor government put ideology ahead of victims and public safety.

They attempted to downplay the harm youth offenders have caused the community, including public-owned facilities.

Now we’re dealing with the consequences; a Youth Detention Centre that opened two years late, was $70 million over budget, and is already undergoing urgent repairs because of serious damage caused by detainees.

Labor focused too heavily on the therapeutic model and not enough on the safety and security of staff and youth detainees.

Now is the time to redirect those priorities and ensure offenders know there is a consequence for their actions.

That’s why the CLP has brought Youth Justice back under Corrections and is committed to reinstating spit guards as an essential protective measure for Youth Justice staff.

Youth detainees can have significant behavioural problems, creating a challenging and, at times, dangerous work environment for Youth Justice staff.

Our government values and supports the dedicated men and women who have chosen careers focused on helping to rehabilitate these young people.

Media Contact - Kyrrie Blenkinsop - 0461 385 914

Northern Territory Government