Symonston Correctional Centre is a former

minimum security A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various crim ...

Australian prison located in

Symonston Symonston (postcode: 2609) is a primarily industrial and agricultural suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Symonston is named after Sir Josiah Symon a Legislator, Federalist and one of the Founders of the Constitution of ...

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Its recent capacity was 22 when in use. It was formerly the Quamby Children's Remand Centre, and later the Symonston Periodic Detention Centre. As of October 2022, The Symonston Correctional Centre remained designated as a correctional institution within ACT but was deemed unsuitable for continued operation in its intended capacity. According to the ACT Government, significant renovations would be necessary to upgrade its infrastructure to meet the requisite standards for security and safety for a permanent correctional facility. The Symonston Correctional Centre is occasionally used by the ACT Corrective Services and various other agencies for training activities.

Quamby

The Quamby Youth Detention Centre originally opened in 1962 and was used as a shelter for young people who had nowhere to reside, or for young people who were placed on short term remand. Those who received a committal term from the courts were housed at

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

training centres. Quamby, a medium to low security facility, can accommodate up to 26 children and young people who have been refused

bail Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Court bail may be offered to secure the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when ...

or sentenced to a period of detention. The Children’s Court may pass a sentence of up to two years. However, a longer sentence may be handed down if the child or young person is sentenced through the Supreme Court. The

age of criminal responsibility The age of criminal responsibility is the age below which a child is deemed incapable of having committed a criminal offence. In legal terms, it is referred to as a defence/defense of infancy, which is a form of defense known as an excuse so t ...

in the ACT is 10 years. Quamby can house both male and females from the age of 10. As a person who committed their offence whilst under 18 may be sentenced as a young person up to the age of 18 and 6 months, it is possible for Quamby to house a detainee over the age of 18 for the duration of their Court Order. Quamby operates within the legislative requirements of the Children and Young People Act 1999, and is operated by the Office of Children, Youth and Family Services in the ACT Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services.

New premises for youth detention

In early 2006, the

Government of the Australian Capital Territory The Government of the Australian Capital Territory, also referred to as the Australian Capital Territory Government or ACT Government, is the executive branch of the Australian Capital Territory. The leader of the party or coalition with the Con ...

announced plans for a $40 million youth detention centre at Mitchell, ACT. Thirty

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...

s of pastoral land on Wells Station Road, just off the Federal Highway, were earmarked for a new centre to replace the existing Quamby centre. The new juvenile detention centre opened in June 2008 as Bimberi Youth Justice Centre, and is capable of housing up to 50 residents. In 2007 Symonston was criticised by the Human Rights Commission for allowing little time out of cells and for excessive lockdowns.

Symonston Periodic Detention Centre

Between 2007 and 2017, the site was converted from a juvenile detention centre to an adult period detention centre, that was primarily used for weekend detention. In 2015 it was used as a temporary solution to the overcrowding in the ACT's main adult prison, the

Alexander Maconochie Centre The Alexander Maconochie Centre is an Australian prison in the Australian Capital Territory, which detains maximum security, minimum security and remand inmates, both male and female. It is located in Hume, Australian Capital Territory. The ...

References

Prisons in the Australian Capital Territory 1962 establishments in Australia {{Australia-prison-stub

Quamby

New premises for youth detention

Symonston Periodic Detention Centre

See also

References