The Western Australian Department of Corrections yesterday transferred almost 20 teenaged children from the Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre to an adult prison located at Casuarina.
In a statement, the department said the 17 children, aged between 14 and 17, would be housed in “a standalone unit at Casuarina Prison to be designated as a Youth Detention Centre and to operate as an extension of Banksia Hill.”
According to Corrections Director General Dr Adam Tomison, “the Department was left with no option than to relocate the detainees to a safer and more secure place because of the unprecedented destruction of living quarters and infrastructure and threats and attacks on staff.”
But Aboriginal youth advocates have expressed anger and dismay at the transfer, which they say happened without any consultation with families or caregivers of the children.
“One grandmother told me her grandson was sedated and was handcuffed heavily," said Megan Krakouer, Project Director of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project.
"He did not want to go to Casuarina and even when speaking to her grandson yesterday she said that you could tell that he was still heavily medicated.”
Ms Karakouer said the majority of children transferred to the adult prison were Aboriginal and the decision was a breach of human rights.
“Not only is this a failure of the West Australian government but also the federal government because they choose not to invest in ways they should.
“When the Prime Minister handed down the report on closing the gap there were three areas of the 16 where there was no investment made whatsoever, incarceration, suicide, homelessness and child Removal, this is the grim reality our people are facing all the time.”
Megan Krakouer: "Extremely hurt, what they are doing is setting these kids up for a lifetime of imprisonment." Source: Supplied
'Cycle of lifelong imprisonment'
Associate Professor Hannah McGlade also expressed serious concern for the welfare of the children and the long-term effects of them being incarcerated in an adult prison.
“Incarceration has a very damaging impact on children's psychological and also physical well-being and growth, and that's why it's condemned by the Australian Medical Association.
"So there are long term implications potentially even disability, quite possibly suicidal risk, death, premature death and we know that... early imprisonment, can result in a cycle of lifelong imprisonment that even becomes intergenerational.”
The Department of Justice Director General Dr Adam Tomison said the newly constructed juvenile detention centre is a temporary building away from the rest of Casuarina Prison, and that juvenile detainees will have no contact with adult prisoners.
Professor Hannah McGlade says youth imprisonment can have lifelong debilitating physical and mental effects. Source: Karen Michelmore
"Support provided will include education, programs, cultural, medical and psychological services, all delivered onsite by experienced Banksia Hill and Youth Justice staff. The detainees will also have access to secure recreation facilities.
"Detainees will be regularly assessed and will return to Banksia Hill as soon as practicable.”
Corrective Services Commissioner Mike Reynolds said the facilities in the newly built unit would provide greater security and safety for the management of the detainees.
“The new setting should allow our staff to have more one-on-one engagement with these young people and help address their complex needs with all the same levels of services that are available at Banksia Hill,” he said.
