DISABILITY Services Minister Stephen Dawson announced today that the Bennett Brook Disability Justice Centre will be reviewed by a external consultant with input from the community.
The centre in Lockridge opened in August 2015 as an alternative to prison for people with intellectual disability or cognitive impairment who are found unfit to stand trial due to their disability.
Community engagement consultants Alan Carter would be conducting the review, which will examine if the centre has fulfilled its purpose as a Declared Place, as specified by the Declared Places Act, the centre’s location and processes used to engage the community in the establishment of the centre.
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READ NOWThe review will also see strategies being formed to maximise the value to the community of operating a Declared Place and options available to the State Government in relation to the future of the centre.
Mr Dawson said the review followed a government promise in 2016 after the centre became the subject of community criticism.
“Alan Carter has significant skills in the areas required to conduct this external review, having worked in the corporate sector and in the government and not-for-profit sectors, and I’m confident he’s the right man for the job,” he said.
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