WA Police Force Assistant Commissioner Brad Royce has been elevated to WA Department of Justice Corrective Services Commissioner. Photo: Government of Western Australia.
CONTENT WARNING: This story includes details of self-harm.
A new Western Australia Department of Justice Corrective Services Commissioner has been appointed weeks after an incarcerated 16-year-old boy reportedly took his own life.
WA Police Force Assistant Commissioner Brad Royce’s appointment as Corrective Services Commissioner forms part of a major overhaul of the department’s management structure.
The shake-up follows the death of a 16-year-old boy in hospital after he was found unresponsive inside Unit 18 of WA’s maximum security Casuarina Prison on Thursday 12 October.
Circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death are now subject to an ongoing coronial investigation, however Mr Royce has been immediately tasked with steering the department in a new direction, which the WA Government said would enable operational and cultural change with the goal of ensuring better outcomes for staff, detainees and the West Australian public.
Mr Royce brings three decades of policing experience to his new role as Commissioner, having risen to the position of WA Police Force Assistant Commissioner – State Crime in 2019. During his three years in the Crime Command, he played an instrumental role in tackling WA’s Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and chaired the National Serious and Organised Crime Coordination Committee.
In his most recent role as WA Police Force Assistant Commissioner – Metropolitan Region, Mr Royce was responsible for more than 2700 staff.
WA Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia said Mr Royce had demonstrated his strong leadership qualities in these policing positions.
“Mr Royce knows what’s required to manage a large workforce, which often operates in a challenging environment,” he said.
“Those skills will serve him well in his new position as the Corrective Services Commissioner.”
The position of Deputy Commissioner for Women and Young People has also been split to establish a new Deputy Commissioner position solely focused on young people. The soon to be appointed senior executive will direct and control the State’s juvenile justice facilities. Other measures to improve conditions inside Unit 18, including increasing staff and support services, are ongoing.
“Separating the Deputy Commissioner for Women and Young People role into two positions will ensure better outcomes for both juveniles and women within Western Australia’s justice system, and in-turn could benefit the broader community,” Minister Papalia said. “I am committed to improving Unit 18 in the short-term, until an appropriate alternative location is available.”
If you need support, please contact any of the below support services for young people.
- ReachOut: www.au.reachout.com
- Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
- headspace: 1800 650 890
In an emergency, call triple zero.
