Getting there

Acmena Youth Justice Centre is easy to travel to by public transport or car. 

By public transport

Take a train or bus to Grafton Railway Station. The centre is a short taxi ride or a long walk (4km) from the Railway Station. There are no local bus services to drop visitors to the centre. 

By car

The centre is located off Tyson Street, South Grafton. Take the Pacific Highway, turning at the ‘West Trak’ Business’ exit, then left into Swallow Road. 

Visitor information

Having a young person in custody can be difficult for both family, carers and friends and the young person, so it is important to keep in regular contact.

People who wish to visit a young person in custody at Acmena, can do so by following the processes and rules below. Visitors must follow the rules. Not following the rules may result in the visit being ended or a ban on all future visits.

For people unable to visit the centre in person, a live video or Audio-Visual Link (AVL) visit is available at Youth Justice Community Offices. Contact the young person’s community caseworker to discuss an AVL visit request. 

Approval process 

All visitors must be approved and booked in advance. To arrange approval and book a visit, call the Youth Justice Centre on (02) 6643 0000. 

Young people can ask their custody or community caseworker to help them have a person approved to visit. Once approved, the visitor will be notified, and they will need to contact the centre to book a visit.

If there is a security risk or concern, Youth Justice may not allow the visit, or they may ask for the visitor to undertake a criminal history check at their own cost.

For further information, contact the Duty Manager (02) 6643 0000.

Bookings  

All visits must be booked at least two days in advance, excluding legal visits. To book, call (02) 6643 0000. 

Visiting times 

Youth Justice encourages visits from family, friends and supporters. Three to four Youth Justice Officers monitor each visit to ensure the safety of everyone present during the visit. People can visit the centre for 45 minutes during the times below:

People who cannot visit the young person during these visiting hours can contact their centre caseworker or Unit Manager on (02) 6643 0000 to discuss why and gain support for a special visit time.

Accessibility

Ramps are used throughout the centre in place of stairs where it is practical. Each of the three units has a dedicated room for disabled use. If wheelchair access is required, Acmena requests visitors to contact the Duty Manager on (02) 6643 0000 in advance.

Financial support

In some circumstances, financial support may be available to help families visit a young person in custody. Families requiring assistance should contact the young person’s caseworker in the centre, or the Community Office to check if they are eligible.

Number of people visiting 

As centre visiting areas have limited space, a young person can only have up to five visitors at a time.

Families and supporters of young people wishing to have more than five people at one time can contact the Duty Manager on (02) 6643 0000 to discuss the request.  

Parents, guardians and carers, plus other immediate family members, will be given priority for visiting times.  

Identification

All approved visitors must show photo identification when they arrive at the centre. To check the photo identification, the following will happen:  

• all headgear and face coverings must be removed 
• a check may be done in a private area by an employee of the same gender if required
• Youth Justice will keep a copy of the visitor’s photographic identification on file for the time the young person is in custody. 

The visitor may refuse the centre to scan their identity documents. If this happens, it may result in the centre refusing the visit. 

Food

Food and drink are not allowed in the centre. 

Please do not bring food or drink with you to the centre. 

Visitors must follow visiting rules which are on posters within the visiting areas. If people do not follow these rules, the visit will be ended. 

Bringing items to the centre

Visitors can bring items for the young person to the centre if they have approval from the centre's manager. It is a criminal offence to bring items that the centre manager has not approved into the centre. 

A visitor's personal items should be left in their car, and valuables in a locker available at the centre. The centre accepts no responsibility for the loss or theft of items left in lockers.

Recording devices

Under no circumstance are recording items such as cameras, video cameras, mobile phones, smart watches or any other image or voice recording devices to be brought to the centre. 

Banned items

Cigarettes, weapons (for example guns and knives), alcohol, syringes, handbags, purses, and other personal belongings are not to be brought into the centre.  

Contraband

Contraband are all items that a young person is not allowed to have in custody. If a young person is given a non-approved item such as a packet of chips, photos, weapons or drugs, this is contraband.

The passing of contraband from a visitor to a young person in custody may result in the visit being ended or a ban on all future visits.

Checking for non-approved items

People visiting young people at Youth Justice Centres may go through one or all of the following processes before entering the secure part of a centre:  

• all visitors will be required to walk through a metal detector  

• they will empty out their pockets

• Youth Justice Dogs will screen visitors. 

If a dog indicates that the visitor is carrying drugs, they will not be allowed to visit. If a positive detection is made, the police will be called to attend the centre.

Audio-Visual Link (AVL) visits 

People who wish to book an AVL visit can call the Duty Manager on(02) 6643 0000. 

People unable to attend a centre to visit in person due to long distance, or other circumstances, can arrange to talk to the young person through an Audio-Visual Link (AVL). This is a conversation that takes place over video in a similar way to ‘FaceTime’ or ‘Zoom’.  

People who wish to join a discussion over AVL, are required to do the following:  

• have approval from the Youth Justice Centre for the AVL conversation   

• arrange a convenient time through the Youth Justice Centre to contact the young person. 

If visitors do not have access to a mobile device, they can still have an AVL at a Youth Justice Community Office. Every Community Office has AVL access to enable family and supporters the ability to live video chat with the young person. People attending an AVL visit at a Community Office must not bring the following items into the visiting area:  

• food or drink  

• mobile phones  

• cameras  

• any other recording items or items that allow access to social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram.  

People taking part in AVL conversations at the Community Office will be asked to store any personal items bought with them in an available locker before entering the AVL room. If they refuse to do so, the visit might not be allowed. If someone is caught using a recording device, the visit will be stopped and future visits may not be approved.  

Visiting rules include:  

• remaining settled in the seat during the conversation  

• not using loud or bad, violent or rude language   

• not displaying troublesome behaviour  

• only bringing the number of approved visitors booked for the visit to the Community Office for the AVL conversation.

Download the AVL factsheet (PDF 78.67KB).

About Acmena Youth Justice Centre

Acmena Youth Justice Centre is located in South Grafton, with a capacity for 45 young people. The centre was opened in September 1999, and accommodates male detainees, mainly from the far North Coast, Mid North Coast and New England areas, who are on control orders or remanded in custody. The centre offers a range of health, educational and spiritual services to the young people, including individual case management, specialised counselling, and training in job and living skills. 

Education 

The Department of Education operates a school at the centre, so that young offenders can continue their studies while at the centre and learn skills to help them re-enter education, training or the workforce when they leave custody. 

Health 

Youth Justice and NSW Health provide registered nurses for general healthcare, arranges visits from local general practitioners to provide medical assessments and treatment, and consultant psychiatrists for professional assessment and treatment of young people as required. The centre employs an Alcohol and Other Drugs Counsellor to assist young offenders in dealing with their drug and alcohol problems, and a psychologist who provides assessment, counselling and group work. 

Religious services 

The Centre has a Chaplain who provides religious and spiritual support to young people in custody. The Centre can also arrange for young people from non-Christian faiths, including Islam and Buddhism, to receive religious support and counselling. 

Living conditions in a Youth Justice Centre in NSW 

Youth Justice have implemented a number of services and operational processes in all centres to make day-to-day living in custody safe and comfortable.

To learn more about the lifestyle in custody, such as making and receiving phone calls, letters and packages, clothing and linen, as well as medical care, casework and leave, see What happens in custody?

The Official Visitor

The Official Visitor is an independent person who reviews Youth Justice. The Official Visitor regularly visits the centres and reports to the Inspector of Custodial Services on how the centre is run. A young person has the right to talk privately to the Official Visitor when they come to the centre. The Official Visitor's role is to manage enquiries or complaints and they can escalate matters to the Executive Director of Youth Justice. They also resolve matters with the centre, for example if linen or food is not to the standard expected. 

Complaints

Parents, guardians and carers as well as young offenders can complain directly to Youth Justice, or to an independent person or organisation whose job it is to review Youth Justice. If people in custody or their families wish to make a complaint, they can contact the following:

• the Official Visitor
• the NSW Ombudsman
• the Minister. 

View independent people and organisations for the contact details of these independent bodies.

Complaints to the Youth Justice Centre

If families or the young person have a complaint about the way they are being treated, they can contact the centre manager. All complaints are confidential and will be taken seriously. The person who makes the complaint will be asked about their complaint and every effort will be made to resolve the problem in the shortest time possible. If the person who makes the complaint is not happy with how their enquiry was handled, they can write to:  

• Executive Director
  Youth Justice NSW
  GPO Box 31
  Sydney, NSW, 2011

Or complete a Make a complaint form.