A year ago today, WA's youth detention system reached what was meant to be its lowest point — a child's death in custody. What has changed? WARNING: This story discusses incidents of self-harm.
In the last year, Western Australia locked up 746 children convicted or accused of a crime.And in the last year, two of them took their own lives.
Inside the walls of a juvenile wing of a maximum-security adult jail, 16-year-old Cleveland Dodd self-harmed.The corrective services minister pledged it was "essential we take whatever steps we can now to create the safest environment possible and ensure a similar tragedy cannot occur again."In August, a second young person, this time a 17-year-old boy, took his life in his cell inside the Banksia Hill youth detention centre.
The former Australian of the Year founded what is now The Kids Research Institute, which conducted a groundbreaking study into disability behind bars between 2015 and 2016. The researchers called for regular and comprehensive screening of young people going into detention to work out what support they need.
The inquest heard despite those diagnoses – which would have made his time alone in his cell more difficult – staffing and infrastructure issues meant for 77 of his final 93 days in detention, he was in his cell for more than 22 hours a day. "Premier Cook … this approach of youth justice that's now taking children's lives is failing and it's completely wrong.Dr McGlade is a Kurin Minang woman and member of the international United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
"Aboriginal children deserve better than this, and should know that. should know better.""They've got ways to actually better handle things like out of home care and child protection," she said.
Perth News Wa Pols Wa News Cleveland Dodd Banksia Hill Banksia Hill Detention Centre Unit 18 Casuarina Prison Nadene Dodd Juvenile Detention Youth Justice Youth Detention Juvenile Detention Death Inquest Coronial Inquiry Department Of Justice Cleveland Dodd Inquiry Any Questions Why Don't They Care
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