More than 60% of the workforce at the troubled Cleveland youth detention centre in north Queensland quit during the past three years, data obtained by Guardian Australia shows.
The figures supplied by the youth justice department show total staff numbers at the detention centre have declined since mid-2020, about the same time the state enacted laws designed to lock up more children.
As record numbers of young people have been sent to youth prisons, worker numbers at the Cleveland detention centre fell so sharply that by mid-last year about one in five roles at the centre was vacant.
Guardian Australia reported this month that the use of solitary confinement due to chronic staffing shortages and overcrowding had created a situation where many children were not attending rehabilitation programs or regular schooling.
Guards, youth workers, teachers, judges, lawyers, social workers, the Queensland public guardian and others have raised concerns about the use of confinement, an increase in violent behaviour as a result of prolonged lockdowns, and a lack of programs to support children in custody at the centre.
In an apparent response to Guardian Australia’s reporting on Cleveland, the youth justice minister, Di Farmer, and the department’s senior executive director, Michael Drane, held a press conference outside the centre this month to tout the results of a recruitment campaign.
The government says the state has hired 51 staff this financial year, and that 21 others are undergoing pre-employment training. A further 23 have been offered jobs.
“The number of youth detention workers has increased, as well as case managers who work to address issues that contribute to offending,” Farmer said.
But despite claims that “staffing levels have improved”, comparative data requested by Guardian Australia shows large numbers of employees left the centre over the same time period. Total employee numbers remain below levels in July 2020.
In 2020-21 there were 45 worker “separations” from Cleveland. In 2021-22 more than a quarter of the workforce – a total of 76 workers – resigned. So far this year a further 47 have left.
There are 290 approved full-time positions at Cleveland and 10% of those remain vacant, the department said. A year ago, based on the figures supplied, about 19% of those positions would have been unfilled.
At the same time as the centre has been hit chronic staff shortages, state government policies resulted in record numbers of children being placed in the detention system. The influx of youth prisoners began in mid-2020 when Queensland introduced a presumption against bail for some children.
The police minister, Mark Ryan, said last year the state had always made it clear that the consequences of those laws would be more young people in custody
Staff, youth workers and children in detention all say the situation at Cleveland – where the state’s management of the detention workforce has failed to cope with that influx – has turbo-charged recidivism rates in the community.
The state youth justice department said detention centres “are complex and challenging environments”.
“Like any organisation, staff leave positions for a variety of reasons, including personal reasons and career opportunities elsewhere.
“A national and state-wide recruitment campaign to fill frontline positions at the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre has boosted staffing levels.
“Recent improvements include the hiring of staff wellness officers and more safety advisors to better support staff, and additional support for new recruits including improved training.”
