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Children have shared their experiences locked up in Banksia Hill Detention Centre in a report that slammed the Western Australian government for “systemic failures”.
An inquiry into the troubled centre and Unit 18 heard from 43 child inmates who spoke about lockdowns, not having enough staff around, use of force and racism.
They also highlighted feeling worried about other children in detention, upcoming court appearances, funerals and sorry business and sometimes being managed differently or not being supported after release.
One former inmate, who didn’t want to be named, likened his experience to being in a zoo.
“Just guards, the way that they were running the system, yeah,” he told 9News.
“You’ve got young fellas that have never hurt themself in their whole life then they go in there, next minute, the majority of them are hurting themselves.”
Commissioner for Children and Young People Jacqueline McGowan-Jones tabled the report in parliament today.
It handed down 16 recommendations, with giving inmates a voice among them.
“If we lock them in a cell for hours on end, of course they are going to escalate,” McGowan-Jones said.
“Children and young people predominantly want to change when I speak to them. They don’t want to come back to detention.”
The report slammed “systemic failures” by successive governments that didn’t put the needs of children first.
Attorney-General John Quigley said significant improvements had been made to Banksia Hill including increased out of cell hours.
The government still has yet to set a closure date for Unit 18.
