The Commissioner for Children and Young People in Tasmania, Leanne McLean, is urging the state government to implement a task force aimed at reducing the number of children detained at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre. The facility currently holds 26 children, a figure McLean deems unacceptable.
Concerns about the well-being and safety of the detained children have been raised due to the high population and inadequate staffing levels at the center. There have been calls to close the detention center urgently due to risks of abuse and the necessity for a more therapeutic approach to youth detention.
Support for the task force has come from various organizations and individuals, emphasizing the need for immediate action. Plans are in place to replace the Ashley Youth Detention Centre with a new facility based on a therapeutic model by 2026, but advocates argue that more immediate steps are needed to ensure the welfare of the children currently in detention.
