Question On Notice No. 1088 asked in the Legislative Council on 27 October 2022 by Hon Dr Brad Pettitt
Question Directed to the: Parliamentary Secretary representing the Minister for Corrective Services
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
I refer to Unit 18, Casuarina Prison and I ask:
(a) what is the total number of children and young people detained in Unit 18 on each day since the facility opened;
(b) please provide the total number of education hours delivered in Unit 18 since the facility opened, broken down by school week;
(c) what is the daily average of hours of education received by the cohort in Unit 18 on each day since the facility was opened;
(d) on how many occasions, has a young person detained in Unit 18 received a full day of education services; and
(e) ho is providing education services at Unit 18?
Answered on 29 November 2022
(a)Table 1. Number of distinct young people held in custody at Unit 18 between 20 July 2022 and 31 October 2022, by date.
Date
|
Distinct Young People at Midnight
|
Total Distinct Young People
|
20 July 2022
|
17
|
17
|
21 July 2022
|
16
|
17
|
22 July 2022
|
16
|
16
|
23 July 2022
|
16
|
16
|
24 July 2022
|
16
|
16
|
25 July 2022
|
16
|
16
|
26 July 2022
|
16
|
16
|
27 July 2022
|
15
|
16
|
28 July 2022
|
16
|
16
|
29 July 2022
|
16
|
16
|
30 July 2022
|
16
|
16
|
31 July 2022
|
16
|
16
|
1 August 2022
|
16
|
16
|
2 August 2022
|
16
|
16
|
3 August 2022
|
16
|
16
|
4 August 2022
|
16
|
16
|
5 August 2022
|
15
|
16
|
6 August 2022
|
15
|
15
|
7 August 2022
|
15
|
15
|
8 August 2022
|
15
|
15
|
9 August 2022
|
15
|
15
|
10 August 2022
|
14
|
15
|
11 August 2022
|
14
|
14
|
12 August 2022
|
14
|
14
|
13 August 2022
|
14
|
14
|
14 August 2022
|
13
|
14
|
15 August 2022
|
13
|
13
|
16 August 2022
|
14
|
15
|
17 August 2022
|
11
|
15
|
18 August 2022
|
11
|
11
|
19 August 2022
|
11
|
11
|
20 August 2022
|
11
|
11
|
21 August 2022
|
11
|
11
|
22 August 2022
|
10
|
11
|
23 August 2022
|
9
|
10
|
24 August 2022
|
9
|
9
|
25 August 2022
|
9
|
9
|
26 August 2022
|
9
|
9
|
27 August 2022
|
9
|
9
|
28 August 2022
|
9
|
9
|
29 August 2022
|
10
|
10
|
30 August 2022
|
10
|
10
|
31 August 2022
|
10
|
10
|
1 September 2022
|
10
|
10
|
2 September 2022
|
10
|
10
|
3 September 2022
|
11
|
11
|
4 September 2022
|
11
|
11
|
5 September 2022
|
11
|
11
|
6 September 2022
|
10
|
11
|
7 September 2022
|
10
|
10
|
8 September 2022
|
10
|
10
|
9 September 2022
|
14
|
14
|
10 September 2022
|
14
|
14
|
11 September 2022
|
14
|
14
|
12 September 2022
|
14
|
14
|
13 September 2022
|
14
|
14
|
14 September 2022
|
14
|
14
|
15 September 2022
|
13
|
14
|
16 September 2022
|
13
|
13
|
17 September 2022
|
13
|
13
|
18 September 2022
|
13
|
13
|
19 September 2022
|
12
|
14
|
20 September 2022
|
12
|
13
|
21 September 2022
|
12
|
13
|
22 September 2022
|
11
|
12
|
23 September 2022
|
12
|
12
|
24 September 2022
|
12
|
12
|
25 September 2022
|
12
|
12
|
26 September 2022
|
12
|
12
|
27 September 2022
|
12
|
12
|
28 September 2022
|
14
|
14
|
29 September 2022
|
14
|
14
|
30 September 2022
|
12
|
14
|
1 October 2022
|
12
|
12
|
2 October 2022
|
12
|
12
|
3 October 2022
|
12
|
12
|
4 October 2022
|
11
|
12
|
5 October 2022
|
10
|
11
|
6 October 2022
|
10
|
10
|
7 October 2022
|
10
|
10
|
8 October 2022
|
10
|
10
|
9 October 2022
|
10
|
10
|
10 October 2022
|
14
|
14
|
11 October 2022
|
14
|
14
|
12 October 2022
|
13
|
14
|
13 October 2022
|
13
|
13
|
14 October 2022
|
12
|
13
|
15 October 2022
|
12
|
12
|
16 October 2022
|
12
|
12
|
17 October 2022
|
12
|
12
|
18 October 2022
|
12
|
12
|
19 October 2022
|
11
|
12
|
20 October 2022
|
11
|
11
|
21 October 2022
|
9
|
11
|
22 October 2022
|
9
|
9
|
23 October 2022
|
9
|
9
|
24 October 2022
|
9
|
9
|
25 October 2022
|
9
|
10
|
26 October 2022
|
10
|
10
|
27 October 2022
|
10
|
10
|
28 October 2022
|
13
|
14
|
29 October 2022
|
13
|
13
|
30 October 2022
|
13
|
13
|
31 October 2022
|
13
|
13
|
Term
|
Definition
|
Distinct Young People at Midnight
|
The number of distinct young people who were in custody at Unit 18 at midnight on that date. This therefore excludes young people who were discharged or transferred out of Unit 18 that day.
|
Total Distinct Young People
|
The number of distinct young people who were in custody at Unit 18 for any duration of time on that date.
|
TOMS
|
Total Offender Management Solution. The custodial application used to capture data about people in prison custody.
|
(b)(c) and (d) The Department’s Total Offender Management Solutions (TOMS) database system does not collect or retain any data in relation to education hours delivered to young people at either Banksia Hill or Unit 18.
To adopt a teaching pedagogy that aligns with the complex needs and circumstances of the young people accommodated at Unit 18, education is facilitated in three 30 to 90 minutes periods each Monday to Friday, and vocational classes including art, music and physical education on Saturdays. This results in higher engagement in learning producing improved outcomes for the students. The current model used at Banksia Hill is deemed too long for the majority of young people now accommodated at Unit 18 and is not conducive to the number of known disabilities of which the young people present with.
Highly experienced teachers have been assigned to Unit 18 to meet the vocational and educational needs of the young people. Both teachers are trained in the principles and values of the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM). The classroom teacher is responsible for the delivery of Sounds Write (intensive literacy support), Protective Behaviours and Keys For Life, in addition to delivering the General Education for Adults (CGEA). The instructional method used is Explicit and Direct Instruction, these are evidence based instructional methods for teaching literacy and numeracy (especially effective with young people at educational risk). The vocational teacher’s focus is on developing vocational literacy, numeracy and job ready skills in the young people, this includes occupational health and safety.
The BSEM underpins the teaching and learning philosophy at Unit 18. The BSEM approach is through a Trauma-Informed Positive Education (TIPE) lens that links:
• Approaches addressed in trauma-informed classrooms (healing), with
• Proven positive psychology interventions (growth).
In line with the BSEM, the hours of attendance of students within each of the periods are not calculated, rather their engagement is reflected by days of attendance. Reporting students attendance in days is in line with the Department of Education’s reporting requirements and is the most valid method of capturing a young person’s education engagement.
A number of factors may preclude a young person from education on particular days. These include attendance with specialist services or visits (social and or e-visits), incident management and or if a young person declines.
(e) Qualified teachers employed by the Department of Justice.