The Northern Territory politician in charge of juvenile justice when boys were tear gassed at Don Dale Detention Centre says aggressive teens can't be subdued with "an assertive cuddle", a royal commission has heard.
John Elferink, the previous Country Liberals Party corrections minister, was sacked after footage of boys being gassed, spithooded and shackled was aired on national television last year, sparking the juvenile justice inquiry.
In an email to his media adviser days after the August 2014 incident, Mr Elferink wrote a mock response to inquiries from a journalist about the use of tear gas.
In a "slightly amended version" of his adviser's one-line response refusing to comment as an investigation was underway, Mr Elferink let fly his frustrations.
"These children are not the kind that bring home apple pie for their parents," he wrote.
"When a youth in custody is seriously threatening staff with weapons... they cannot be simply subdued by giving them an assertive cuddle."
Five of the six boys had been held in isolation for up to 17 days straight after earlier escaping from the centre, and they were gassed after one inmate broke out of his cell and began trashing an exercise yard.
Mr Elferink said when detainees are being extremely violent and put staff in danger they must do what is necessary to bring the situation under control.
"If that means gas, so be it and I support the decision to use it," he wrote.
"Young prisoners who threaten staff, escape and tear the facility apart must be stopped; their behaviour will not be tolerated.
"They are in Don Dale and in the cells because their behaviour put them there."
Mr Elferink later sent the email to former corrections commissioner Ken Middlebrook - who resigned after the scandal - and he then forwarded it to ex NT Youth Justice Executive Director Salli Cohen, stating "you will love this".
Mr Elferink's email was shown at the inquiry on Thursday, and he is expected to take the stand next month.
Current and former detainees and an Aboriginal elder are due to testify on Friday as the commission delivers its interim report to both the NT and federal governments.
It comes as more than 100 organisations have urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to set an indigenous incarceration Close the Gap target.
Australia's peak union body and indigenous, health, religious and legal groups have signed an open letter demanding Mr Turnbull show national leadership on youth justice.
Aboriginal young people are 17 times more likely to be in the criminal justice system than their non-indigenous counterparts, according to figures released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on Friday.
