Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre

The Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre is located within the Alice Springs Correctional Precinct.

The centre houses both male and female detainees from Alice Springs and the surrounding regions.

Youth justice officers and case management staff are responsible for the day-to-day care of young people accommodated in the centre.

Visitors

If you want to visit a young person at the centre, you must book at least one day before you would like to visit.

To book a visit, call 08 8951 5008 between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Hours

You can visit during these times:

• Monday to Friday - 3pm to 5pm
• Saturday to Sunday - 4pm to 5pm.

Visiting times can be extended if necessary.

Rules

You must comply with the rules of the centre.

These include not bringing items that are not allowed within the detention centre, also called prohibited items.

Read the centre's prohibited items PDF (160.5 KB).

How to get there

The Prison Fellowship of Australia provides a bus service from the Alice Springs town centre to the Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre.

The bus leaves from the hospital lawns car park (opposite the Memorial Club) and departs every:

• Saturday - 9am, 10:15am, noon and 1:15pm
• Sunday - 1:30pm.

If you want to visit between Monday and Friday, contact local services such as the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service (CAALAS), YLAP and Mission Australian to ask if transport is offered.

Parking

If you drive to the centre, parking is available in the visitor's car park.

Professional visits

Professional visitors can see young people at the centre Monday to Friday between 9am to 4pm.

You must call the centre 24 hours before you want to visit.

Education

The Owen Springs Education Unit is a school for young people who have been remanded or sentenced to detention.

It caters for all students up to the age of 18 years old, and includes programs run by outside agencies so students can gain certification to help them get a job or further their education when they are released.

It also includes VET courses from Charles Darwin University for young people who want to get a certificate in retail food preparation, horticulture and the construction industry.

There are also programs to help young people develop leadership skills, and encourage better behaviour.

These include programs run by:

• Red Dust Role Models
• Congress
• Reclink
• role models from within the community.

Case management

The aim of case management is to develop a structured plan that identifies the detainee's goals while they are in detention and beyond.

The case management process includes a plan of action to deliver programs that are likely to promote crime prevention, build safer communities and address the individual psychological, social and emotional wellbeing of the detainee.

Programs

Young people sentenced or remanded to detention may be able to access, or asked to undertake programs including:

• Safe Sober Strong
• Step Up Violence Program
• Changing Habits and Reaching Targets (CHART)
• The Seek Education or Employment not Detention Program (SEED).