Acmena 'bursting at the seams'

The Acmena juvenile justice detention centre.

MORE young people to find space for, less money to do it.

This is the situation at Grafton's Acmena juvenile justice detention centre, according to the State Opposition.

Despite holding a higher average number of young people than capacity in the year to June, the centre's estimated budget this financial year has been cut by $131,000.

The figures were revealed at a recent estimates hearing at State Parliament. The hearings are held by the NSW Upper House to determine how taxpayers' money is being spent each year.

The hearings revealed an average 32 young people were admitted each day to Acmena last year, even though the centre is only a 30-bed facility.

"Acmena is bursting at the seams," Liberal North Coast Upper House member Catherine Cusack, a member of the committee that ran the estimates hearings, said.

With the admission of more youths than beds available, the centre frequently has to close.

A 12-day sample before the estimates hearing revealed the centre was closed more than half the time because it had reached capacity or had exceeded it.

Ms Cusack said the centre's frequent closure stretched police resources to the limit.

"When Acmena is closed police are forced to hold juveniles in police cells overnight," she said.

A spokeswoman for Juvenile Justice Minister Graham West said the increase in detainee numbers was due to tougher bail laws and policing.

"While the capacity of juvenile justice centres fluctuates on a daily basis, there are times some centres are at capacity, and young people in those areas need to remain in police custody," she said.

"This allows the young person to remain near their family and the court system."

The spokeswoman said the Rees Government planned to add 15 beds to the Acmena centre to cater for the increase in the number of detainees.