The Western Australian government has finally unveiled plans for a new $158 million high-security youth detention facility in Perth, though the controversial Unit 18 won't close until the replacement opens in late 2028.
Three-Year Wait for New Facility
Despite being promised two years ago following the death of Cleveland Dodd at Unit 18, the new 30-bed detention centre won't be operational for another three years. Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia defended the timeline, stating the complex nature of the project required careful planning.
"Hopefully they could do it faster. We'll know more once the tenders respond, but ultimately, it's a big project," Mr Papalia said. "It's a complex one. It is partly why it's taken this time to prepare the design, because it is a very complex, very specific build."
Unit 18 Conditions Under Fire
The existing Unit 18 facility has been described as "inhumane" and resembling "a war zone" during the inquest into Cleveland Dodd's suicide. Inspector of Custodial Services Eammon Ryan previously condemned conditions as "cruel, inhuman and degrading."
A December report acknowledged some improvements but maintained that Unit 18 remained "cold and bleak," "not fit for purpose" and should be closed. The facility currently houses a dozen or fewer detainees since being hastily converted in 2022 after riots caused millions in damage at Banksia Hill Detention Centre.
Progress and Ongoing Challenges
Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce reported improvements in out-of-cell hours since evidence emerged that Cleveland Dodd had been held in solitary confinement for up to 22 hours daily.
"Well over nine hours a day in both facilities. And it's because we have the two facilities that we can do that," Mr Royce explained. "We can move our people around, and we can move the young people around, manage that, manage their relationships, and that gives us the opportunity for much increased school hours."
Meanwhile, a separate $29 million crisis care unit with eight beds for mental health needs is nearly complete. Construction tenders for the main facility will be released next week.
Mr Papalia emphasized the new facility's rehabilitation focus: "This will be focused on providing the safest possible environment for rehabilitating, for accommodating and rehabilitating this cohort as we can deliver. The aim will be to keep communities safe."
Broader Prison System Concerns
The announcement comes as overcrowding in adult prisons faces scrutiny, with a District Court judge recently citing "outrageous" and "unacceptable conditions" at Hakea Prison when sentencing a violent car-jacker to just 2.5 years instead of the maximum 20 years.
Mr Papalia remained tight-lipped about decisions on a new adult prison, stating that "any process inside government around large scale infrastructure spend or planning or expenditure is something that's confidential."
