Justice Reform Initiative Media Release, 6 July 2026
The Justice Reform Initiative says the appointment of a new Minister for Corrective Services in Western Australia presents a genuine opportunity to reset the state’s approach to justice to build a more effective and appropriate system that centres community safety and wellbeing while reducing crime.
Justice Reform Initiative WA coordinator Kimberley Wilde said the appointment comes at a critical moment. Western Australia’s adult prison system is under sustained pressure, with serious safety risks for staff and people in prison, rising costs, and ongoing scrutiny from inspectors, courts and advocates. While Banksia Hill has seen significant improvements following a period of crisis, there is still more work to do in children and young people’s justice, particularly to prevent children entering detention in the first place. The state now has an extraordinary opportunity to learn from jurisdictions around the world that have turned similar systems around.
Last week, three internationally recognised youth justice reform leaders from New York, Spain and Hawai'i visited Banksia Hill and met with First Nations, community and union leaders, sharing firsthand lessons from jurisdictions that once faced similar challenges and chose a different path. New York reduced children in prison by 82%, Spain’s Diagrama model cut reoffending from 85% to 15%, and Hawaiʻi closed 80% of its youth detention centres while reducing youth crime overall by 86%.
Ms Wilde said the change of minister was a chance for the WA Government to draw on those experiences and pursue reforms grounded in evidence to increase community safety while reducing reliance on over-incarceration for adults, children and young people.
“A new Minister will bring fresh eyes to the problems in justice in Western Australia. We now have an opportunity to look afresh at what is working elsewhere and how Western Australia can build a justice system that delivers better outcomes for the wider community," she said.
"The international experts who visited Banksia Hill this week, and spoke with those in the sector, came from places that once faced many of the same challenges we see here today. They have shown it is possible to reduce youth incarceration while strengthening community safety through early intervention, therapeutic responses and strong partnerships with community."
“We stand ready to share that evidence and to support a genuine reset.”
Ms Wilde said Western Australia has many of the ingredients needed to achieve meaningful reform.
"WA has an outstanding community sector, strong Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and a wealth of expertise. This is an opportunity to bring those voices together with government and chart a new course based on what the evidence tells us works,” she said.
"We look forward to working constructively with the incoming Minister to help build a justice system that reduces offending, supports successful reintegration and delivers safer communities for all Western Australians."
Media contact: Amy Price, 0437 027 156
The Initiative respectfully acknowledges and supports the current and longstanding efforts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to reduce the numbers of Indigenous people incarcerated in Australia and, importantly, the leadership role which Indigenous-led organisations continue to play on this issue. We also acknowledge the work of many other individuals and organisations seeking change, such as those focused on the rate of imprisonment for women, people with mental health issues, people with disability and others.