A new youth remand home in Dunedin will keep some of the city's youngest offenders from police cells.
The Ministry of Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki announced yesterday a remand home for young offenders would open at Will St, Abbotsford, this month.
Youth Justice Services deputy chief executive Allan Boreham said the home would provide care for three youths at a time, but five youths could stay there under ''exceptional circumstances''.
The announcement follows growing concern by Dunedin youth advocates that young offenders had been forced to spend time in police cells and transferred to residences as far away as Auckland because there was no facility in Dunedin.
The Will St home was used by Child Youth and Family to house vulnerable youth, but was last occupied by a single ''high needs'' young person in August 2016, Mr Boreham said.
Dunedin barrister and youth advocate Brian Kilkelly welcomed the news the facility, which had been unused because caregivers had not been appointed, would reopen.
''What we have had is a number of young people going to youth justice residences around the country for the last couple of years where in the days Will St was open they would have been remanded in custody to Will St, so it has taken them away from their environment and their families.''
Abbotsford residents had been informed about the facility.
