The recent decision to transport juvenile offenders into an adult maximum-security prison in Western Australia shows the youth justice system is in crisis. The findings of the Don Dale Royal Commission, and the landmark Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody were uncomfortably similar, even though being held almost three decades apart. Key similarities included a lack of training and accountability for prison staff, and an acknowledgement there was a need for policing reform and adequate community engagement.
Both of these commissions called for broad reforms across many different sectors, including policing and education in Australia. However many of these recommendations remain unimplemented.
