Banksia In‑reach is a program of regular visits by Gascoyne Elders and Mentors to Banksia Hill Detention Centre, supporting young people from the Gascoyne through strong cultural connection, mentoring and throughcare. It recognises that cultural identity, trusted relationships and ongoing links to family and Country are key protective factors against reoffending for Aboriginal young people.
Why this project is needed
Young people from the Gascoyne who are detained in Perth are a long way from home. They are often disconnected from their language groups, stories and Country, and from the Elders and community members who know their families and land.
Banksia Hill does have cultural programs, but these cannot fully provide the specific connection to Baiyungu, Malgana, Yinggarda, Thudgari, Thalanyji and Wajarri identities that Gascoyne young people need. Without that, detention risks becoming another isolating and traumatic experience rather than a chance to reset and plan for a safer future.
Banksia In‑reach responds to this gap. It brings Gascoyne Elders and community leaders into the centre on a regular basis to share cultural knowledge, yarning, guidance and encouragement in ways that are specific to our region.
What has been done so far
The program has already started. The first group of five Gascoyne community members spent a week at Banksia Hill in April 2026, with a second visit planned for late June. These visits are supported by the Department of Justice, which covers travel and accommodation costs and pays Elders and community members for their time and expertise, recognising this as skilled cultural and mentoring work.
Each visit has included:
- group cultural sessions, using Gascoyne stories, language and seasonal knowledge
- one‑on‑one mentoring for young people with higher needs
- time to share news from home and talk through what life might look like after release.
Where the project is up to now
The goal is to build a steady rhythm of four visits per year, each for around five days, with a pool of 15–20 Elders and Mentors who are screened and supported to participate. Work is underway to:
- coordinate logistics and scheduling with Banksia Hill
- align in‑reach activities with other programs running in the centre
- start linking what happens in detention with the youth supports available back in Carnarvon, including justice reinvestment projects, mentoring, on‑Country activities and family supports.
What this program will do
- Walk alongside young people to plan for life back home, helping them identify the supports, routines and relationships they will need to stay safer, more stable and out of further trouble.
- Deliver regular in‑reach visits by a pool of Gascoyne Elders and Mentors to Banksia Hill Detention Centre, so young people see familiar faces who understand their families, communities and Country.
- Provide group cultural sessions that share Gascoyne‑specific stories, language and practices, building pride, identity and a stronger sense of belonging as a foundation for change.
- Offer one‑on‑one mentoring for young people with higher needs, using yarning and practical problem‑solving to talk through why offending has happened, what needs to be different and how to make changes step by step.
- Co‑design realistic support plans with young people that link them into education, training, cultural activities, sport, family supports and services they can actually access once they are back in Carnarvon.
- Maintain and rebuild family and community connections by bringing news from home, encouraging positive relationships and involving families where appropriate in planning for return.
- Continue mentoring after release, with Elders and Mentors picking up the relationship in town so that young people see the same trusted people in the community who supported them inside Banksia.
- Work alongside local services to connect young people into programs that reinforce these changes – such as on‑Country activities, youth mentoring, education support and other justice reinvestment initiatives.
Over time, Banksia In‑reach aims to strengthen cultural identity and wellbeing, improve engagement in education and programs inside Banksia, and support smoother transitions back to Carnarvon. By investing in culture, relationships and throughcare, the program contributes to fewer Gascoyne young people cycling in and out of detention and shows what a practical, place‑based justice reinvestment approach looks like.
