Home Detention supports the principle that detention in a training centre should be a last resort for children and young people.
A Home Detention sentence is ordered by the court and includes the condition of electronic monitoring. Electronic monitoring involves the wearing of an electronic transmitting device (usually an ankle bracelet).
Electronic monitoring may also be ordered as a condition of Bail, an Obligation, Suspended Sentence Obligation or temporary or Conditional Release from the Adelaide Youth Training Centre (AYTC).
Youth Justice provides assessment, case planning and support to young people within the boundaries of their Home Detention or electronic monitoring conditions while engaging the young person with appropriate training, education and life skills.
The surveillance of electronic monitoring is aligned with case management to support a young person to comply with their conditions, whilst managing risk and protecting the community.
Where Home Detention conditions are to be considered by the court as part of a mandate, Youth Justice staff will adopt a family-inclusive and culturally appropriate approach. Youth Justice staff will:
- Undertake a robust Home Detention suitability assessment to support court decision making
- Undertake a property assessment to ascertain suitability for Home Detention electronic monitoring, including but not limited to, provision of relevant information of risk factors for occupants of the property, possible impact on children, drug and alcohol related concerns, safety of staff and other pertinent information
- Ensure adequate information and instruction is provided to each young person and their family/carers, regarding their responsibilities
- Provide case management and planning that contributes to supporting training, education and life skills, within the boundaries of the young person’s order
- Complete a weekly timetable for each young person with approved activities
- Support young people (and their primary caregivers) in successfully completing their orders and effectively managing compliance in accordance with relevant legislation
- Monitor and undertake checks to ensure that the young person is complying with the conditions of their Home Detention mandate
- Where a young person tests positive to drugs or alcohol, removes their monitoring anklet or otherwise breaches a condition of their order; complete and submit an affidavit to the South Australia Police
- Require the young person to make contact with Home Detention Officers upon leaving home and arriving at each activity, as well as leaving an activity and returning home.