Young people in detention are moving to the new Holtze Youth Detention Centre in Darwin from today as the new purpose built centre becomes operational.
The new facility, which will house young people who are on remand or have been sentenced, will see young people transfer from the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre at Berrimah this week.
Designed to focus on rehabilitation strategies, the new Holtze Youth Detention Centre will provide young people with the life and vocational skills required to choose a better path once they leave detention.
The facility includes learning spaces, medical rooms and recreation areas to meet the needs of young people in detention. The learning spaces will host education programs, which will be delivered by qualified teachers and focus on providing job-readiness training and practical skills to better equip them for future employment opportunities.
Young people will also have access to GP, dental and mental health support services and access to other medical professionals as required within the medical rooms.
The centre features four separate accommodation blocks which also include shared spaces for young people to interact and engage in development programs.
The Don Dale Youth Detention Centre at Berrimah will be immediately converted for temporary use by up to 50 low-security adult men in December, adding 200 beds by quarter 1 2025. The centre is scheduled to close in December 2026, with the land repurposed for residential development.
A new secure women's facility at the Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre, will provide 48 beds by January 2025.
Quotes attributable to Commissioner for Corrections, Matthew Varley
"The new centre is the culmination of a lot of hard work between the Department of Logistics and Infrastructure and our Youth Justice teams who have designed a world-class, high-tech facility which will transform the way we manage the youth justice system.
"The purpose-built facility will help ensure the safety and wellbeing of our people, visitors and the young people in detention. We want to ensure these young people can choose the right path in life after being in detention, so our focus is on providing a therapeutic, trauma-informed approach which sets them up with the life and employment skills to turn their lives around."
Quotes attributable to A/Deputy Commissioner for Youth Justice, Sasha Dennis
"Our dedicated teams have worked incredibly hard to help design and deliver a trauma-informed and therapeutic facility to provide young people in detention the best possible chance at building a better future.
"The overwhelming majority of young people in detention have complex behavioural issues. The building and landscape design, layout and design of learning and sleeping areas, and the programs and services available at the centre have all been designed to support delivery of the Model of Care to give kids the support and guidance they need to lead safer and more productive lives."
