Why are you looking to build a secure youth justice facility in Waikato/Bay of Plenty?
Currently, Waikato/Bay of Plenty young people sentenced to supervision with residence must be sent out of the district, away from their families. The lack of youth justice facilities in the region also means many young people remanded in custody are being held in police cells, alongside adult offenders.
The residential centre will help at-risk young people and their families in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty area.
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Why can't you build it far away from any existing communities?
Youth Justice Central will ideally be located in a relatively unpopulated area. However, the eventual site must be within reasonable travelling times for the staff who will work there; for emergency and health services and for family travelling to visit young people placed in the residence. A very remote site would be more difficult to operate, increasing the cost of operating the facility, and impose an unreasonable burden on taxpayers.
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Why can't you just put them in prison?
For information on why children (10-13) and young people (14-16) are not dealt with in the adult justice system please refer to Youth Justice fact sheet or the Youth Justice Residences fact sheet.
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How many young people?
Plans are for the residence to eventually accommodate up to 32 young people, with 24 accommodated initially.
Child, Youth and Family will be seeking a designation for up to 40 young people under the Resource Management Act. This is so that at some time in the future Child, Youth and Family can also provide family home type accommodation on the site for the young people who are about to reintegrate back into the community.
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Where will the young people come from?
Youth Justice Central will help at-risk Waikato/Bay of Plenty young people and their families. This new centre will enable them to stay close to their families, aiding the rehabilitation process.
Young people from other regions may need to be placed at Youth Justice Central depending on fluctuations in the numbers of young people remanded in custody.
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Will there be any economic benefits?
The annual operating budget for Youth Justice Central will be over $9 million. The majority of this will be spent locally on staff salaries, maintenance and services. Youth Justice Central will create 60-70 full-time equivalent positions. During the construction phase a competitive tendering process will ensure local architects, engineers, contractors and tradespeople have an opportunity to bid for work.
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What about my safety?
Young people will not be free to come and go from Youth Justice Central. The facility will have a range of security features. These will include surveillance measures, access-controlled buildings, a high staff-young person ratio and both internal and perimeter fencing.
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Services 
