The government’s five-year ‘action scam’ for troubled kids
Bimberi Youth Detention Centre… “The only pipeline in this plan is the care-to-custody pipeline, describing how kids from disadvantaged backgrounds “progress” as they grow up to become Bimberi inmates.”
“Tissues of lies peddled without shame. No tissues for the tears of the damaged kids or those who care about them.” HUGH SELBY calls out the ACT Government’s new Youth Justice Strategic Plan for what it is: “A deliberate mirage, intended to deceive.”
This is an article about a scam, not from some overseas call centre, but by people here in Canberra.
Hugh Selby.
These scammers aren’t deceiving us with phone calls; their approach is to win our hearts and minds with false claims to be actively promoting a better Canberra for troubled youth.
It’s like the seducer who makes ensnaring promises, never intending to keep them, but intending only to dupe the innocent and the naïve.
But enough of this negativity. Let’s put that aside for the moment and celebrate those who deliver results, going beyond making mere promises.
Lucky readers will remember fondly, or perhaps still have, mentors, coaches, teachers – individuals who have tapped and developed a talent, helped to overcome setbacks and disappointment, and been there as confidence has slowly surfaced.
The story of talent recognised, encouraged, and finally succeeding is often taken up in books, manga and films. That’s not surprising. Even a fictional character’s success is a “feel good” encouragement to the rest of us.
Anyone can identify with one or more of these examples, picked up in e-books, e-manga, and the streaming services: football, volleyball, basketball, karate, tennis, painting, writing, piano, surgery, rural medical practice, medical specialities, emergency medicine, lawyers fighting for justice, dog and horse training, and out-of-this-world cooking. Such a long list and I’m sorry to have missed your special interest.
If your special interest is emerging talent in dance, its choreography and its music then, no doubt, you’ll have watched such films as Yeh Ballet, 10Dance, Red Shoes – next steps, Center Stage – turn it up. And let’s not forget the recent Portuguese documentary, Uncredited: The story of Passinho (they’re all on Netflix).
The audience is caught up in the commitment by both performers and enablers. That’s a commitment that extends to a love and passion for the skill. At some point in the story the enabler pushes the performers to a new challenge, something beyond what they ever imagined they could do.
Now back to the reality: this week the ACT Government announced its five-year youth justice plan.
The plan lays out a vision of reduced offending, achieved by a therapeutic, rights-based approach, all achieved within a service system that is “centred” on supporting young people.
It has six “key focus areas”. These are: give support to young people before their lives go south, use restorative justice approaches, reduce the too high incidence of indigenous crime, promote healing and well-being, be respectful of rights, and help kids who have been locked up to have a bright future.
The 29-page plan is here. Click on the download and be gutted.
You won’t find even one sentence about the resources needed to turn this plan from a pipedream to a pipe flowing with success, be those resources the skilled staff, or the places to host the healing, “bright future” services.
The only pipeline in this plan is the care-to-custody pipeline, describing how kids from disadvantaged backgrounds “progress” as they grow up to become Bimberi inmates.
That pipeline of despair flows strongly.
There’s no mention of any costing or funding for anything mentioned in the report. The enabling cupboard is bare.
That’s because no funding is planned.
The report mentions co-operative projects with external service providers, but it doesn’t say how much, if any, funding it gives them now or plans to give in the future.
Instead, it resorts to the big lie, the false claim (on page 12) to have taken significant steps to reform youth justice.
In the “feel good” films and docos, the kids and young people, with the necessary help, turn dreams into success. Everyone makes a real, tangible investment.
Not so in Canberra. Tissues of lies peddled without shame. No tissues for the tears of the damaged kids or those who care about them.
The plan is a deliberate mirage, intended to deceive.
Funding Barr’s indulgent overseas travel trumps the needs of our troubled children.
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