VPRS 17976 Isolation Register

This series consists of an Isolation Register maintained by Melbourne Youth Justice Centre (previously known as Melbourne Juvenile Justice Centre) (VA 5086).The Isolation Register records the name of the client, the time and date of admission to, and release from, isolation and a description of the incident causing admission to isolation. The periods of isolation vary from minutes to hours.Under Section 256C sub-section (1) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1989 (No. 56/1989), the officer in charge of a remand centre, youth residential centre or youth training centre may authorise the isolation of a person detained in the centre, that is, the placing of the person in a locked room separate from others and from the normal routine of the centre. Isolation may be authorised under sub-section (1) if(a) all other reasonable steps have been taken to prevent the person from harming himself or herself or any other person or from damaging property; and(b) the person's behaviour presents an immediate threat to his or her safety or the safety of any other person or to property.The period of isolation must be approved by the Secretary of the Department.The Act required the officer in charge of a remand centre, youth residential centre or youth training centre to make sure that the prescribed particulars of every use of isolation under sub-section (1) be recorded in a register established for the purpose.Sub-section (7) allowed for a person detained in the centre to be isolated in the interests of the security of the centre.