An Aboriginal-led healing service in Boorloo / Perth has joined a court-run diversion program aimed at keeping children out of Western Australia's only youth detention centre.
Wungening Aboriginal Corporation will partner with the Children's Court of WA through the Individualised Recovery of Adolescents with Disadvantage (INROADS) program — a model designed to intervene before young people are sent to Banksia Hill.
The program works with children aged 10 to 17 appearing before the Children's Court who are at risk of being sentenced to detention.
Instead of immediate detention, it seeks to understand the circumstances behind the offending and tailor support accordingly.
In practical terms, that means assessing a child's unmet needs — from unstable housing to trauma — and connecting them with services in the community.
Wungening says it will provide culturally safe counselling and healing support to Aboriginal children participating in the program, working alongside other agencies involved in INROADS.
Its involvement comes at a time when Aboriginal children remain dramatically over-represented in detention.
In 2022-23, 73 per cent of children in detention in the state were Aboriginal.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Aboriginal young people aged 10-17 made up 73 per cent of those in detention in Western Australia in 2022-23, despite accounting for just six per cent of the state's youth population
Against that backdrop, diversion programs such as INROADS are increasingly seen as critical by advocates.
Social justice reformer Gerry Georgatos has described Banksia Hill as "dangerous" and says structural reform is overdue.
"I believe not only Western Australia — but Australia — needs a national, independent custodial authority, entirely separate from government," Mr Georgatos said.
"One with the power to speak plainly, intervene decisively, and lead reform across all custodial settings — youth detention, adult prisons, police watch houses — without fear or political compromise."
