Pictured: Associate Professor Glenn Pearson, Director of First Nations Strategy and Leadership at Telethon Kids Institute
Telethon Kids Institute has been among a growing number of voices passionately advocating for an overhaul of the way young people in detention are managed in Western Australia.
The conversation has been far from easy, with tensions running high since the State Government decided in 2022 to move a group of young people from the embattled Banksia Hill Youth Detention Centre to a dedicated unit within adult prison Casuarina, following repeated outbreaks of violence and damage.
In July 2022 the Institute’s Executive Director, Professor Jonathan Carapetis, and Director of First Nations Strategy and Leadership, Associate Professor Glenn Pearson, wrote to Premier Mark McGowan expressing deep disappointment and concern at the move and urgently calling on the Government to establish a Youth Justice Taskforce to address issues at Banksia Hill.
The intent was to work in partnership with Government behind the scenes to develop a short, medium and long term plan to develop solutions and avoid potentially catastrophic consequences for the children, families and the broader community.
They cited Telethon Kids’ ground-breaking research into the neurodevelopmental health of young people at Banksia Hill, undertaken as part of Australia’s first study to investigate the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder among young people in a custodial setting.
The Banksia Hill Project found unprecedented levels of neurodevelopmental impairment in the 10–17-year-olds detained at Banksia Hill, with nine out of 10 having at least one form of severe developmental impairment; and highlighted the difficulties experienced by them as a result.
Following a growing public outcry, Professor Carapetis was invited to attend a meeting called by the Premier with a range of representatives to discuss the situation at Banksia Hill. At the meeting, held in November 2022, the Institute reiterated its willingness to contribute to solutions, and emphasised that Aboriginal voices must be prioritised.
Associate Professor Pearson acknowledged that Banksia Hill was not an easy or popular topic to advocate on, but ethically and morally, the Institute had no choice but to speak up.
“There’s an inherent responsibility when we invite ourselves into the lives of people by way of our research, and that takes the shape of the work that we are now required to do in order to address all the things we now know, thanks to that research,” Associate Professor Pearson said.
“We’re not just researchers who take photos over a series of time and then do an analysis of the photos.
We can’t unknow what we’ve learned through the Banksia Hill study about the circumstances of these children – the condition in which they arrive, the circumstances they’re being held in, the limited and frustrated abilities of the custodial staff to care for these kids.
“We’re not saying these kids shouldn’t have consequences in life. Aboriginal people have traditional law that manages every part of our lives for that reason. But we have to have more in the tank than what is happening right now.”
Banksia Hill Project to be replicated
Aotearoa (New Zealand) has embarked on its own version of the ground-breaking Banksia Hill study led by The Kids Research Institute Australia, expanding the project to include children in government care as well as those involved in the youth justice system.
Spurred by the Banksia Hill experience, the three-year, $1.4 million project will seek to establish FASD prevalence in the youth justice system and better understand the care needs of children living with FASD who are involved with the country’s Ministry for Children.
The research team will include The Kids and Perth Children’s Hospital researcher and paediatrician, Clinical Associate Professor Raewyn Mutch – a Kāi Tahu First Nations scholar who was also a chief investigator on the Banksia Hill team. The project team will work with youth justice staff, FASD experts, carers, and Whānau (extended family) of young people diagnosed with FASD to codesign specialised services, clinical practice guidelines, and workforce training resources.