Important legislation to ensure the appropriate treatment of children and young people in the custodial process has now passed both Houses of Parliament.
This is significant reform that protects the wellbeing and best interests of children and young people in custodial facilities, and is in line with well-established human rights standards and principles, and contemporary best practice.
It responds to the Commissioner for Children and Young People’s Memorandum of Advice on searches of children and will support further improvement, providing the least intrusive, trauma-informed search requirements and safeguards across all custodial facilities for youth, while also adding extra authorisations and requirements for searches.
And to be clear, while some searches are required for safety and security reasons to prevent harmful items, such as drugs and weapons, entering custodial facilities, the practice of routine personal searches of youth has already ceased in all custodial facilities in Tasmania, including police watch-houses, all prisons and detention centres.
Our Government is also continuing to invest in alternative security strategies, such as body scanners, that we expect will be operational before the end of 2022.
I wish to thank everyone who has assisted in the process to draft, consult, and now pass this Bill through the Parliament, which is a very positive step that delivers the best practice framework for the searching of children and young people in custody.