Bed shortage could see more young offenders released

More violent young offenders may be released on bail, accommodated in family homes or fitted with ankle bracelets as stop-gap measures to deal with the critical shortage of youth justice beds.

High-ranking officials from the police, the Ministry of Justice, Child Youth and Family and the Children's Commission met yesterday to discuss the crisis, which was brought into the spotlight again after a judge criticised the treatment of a teenager left in a police cell for days without a shower.

Judge Heemi Taumaunu held a special sitting on Saturday to ensure a 16-year-old girl received a shower and sanitary products after spending three days at the Henderson police station in Auckland.

The girl's plight follows the case of a 15-year-old boy who was kept for six days in solitary confinement in Hastings police cells last week before being taken to a secure Child, Youth and Family facility.

The situation prompted a Hastings Youth Court judge to say young people should never be remanded in police cells.

There are 102 youth justice beds between Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch, but last month 52 young people were forced to spend time in police or remand cells, with an average wait of four nights.

Yesterday there were seven.

According to figures released by Child Youth and Family to Radio New Zealand, the worst month was September last year, when 82 young people were in facilities intended for adult offenders.

Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft said sending a young person to prison was "always the last resort" but sometimes judges had no choice because of the need for community protection.

"It's probably the most difficult -- at least short-term -- decision a youth court judge has to make, to put a young offender in a police cell," he told National Radio.

"Many judges have presided over inquests as a result of police cell suicides."

He said the temporary options discussed yesterday included greater use of supervised bail, supported bail in the community, ankle bracelets, community/family homes, and better use of existing beds.

It was possible that some health or education facilities that had closed down could be adapted to suit young offenders, he said.

Child Youth and Family will be releasing a discussion paper on the options in June.

The Government is planning to build a new 24-bed youth justice facility in the Waikato or Bay of Plenty, but a site has yet to be confirmed.

Green Party spokeswoman for Youth and Family Sue Bradford said the situation was "appalling" and the Government should build now on existing land.

A criminal lawyer, who represented clients at the Auckland Youth Court, said because judges could not put young people in a cell with adults, they were essentially subjected to solitary confinement.

Hawke's Bay lawyer Richard Stone, whose 15-year-old client spent six days last week in a police cell, said it had a detrimental effect psychologically.

"These are supposed to be the kids who will be criminal in the future so we should be doing everything we can to integrate them into society," he told Hawke's Bay Today.

"If we chuck a guy in a cell for seven days and then chuck him in a rehabilitation programme, he gives up because he feels like no one cares."

- NZPA