WA Inspector of Custodial Services Report on Banksia Hill (2023)
What was at stake
Conditions at Banksia Hill and Unit 18
What happened
Young people (boys and girls aged 10-17, sentenced and unsentenced) held in Banksia Hill Detention Centre and Unit 18 at Casuarina Prison experienced significantly deteriorated conditions. These conditions included ongoing lockdowns, decreased time out of cells, and circumstances amounting to solitary confinement within an adult prison environment, which correlated with self-harm rates 400% above baseline.
What the court decided
Found children held in adult Casuarina Prison in conditions amounting to solitary confinement. Self-harm rates 400% above baseline. Recommended immediate closure of Unit 18.
How the court got there
The Inspector of Custodial Services determined that the existing conditions at Banksia Hill and particularly Unit 18 at Casuarina Prison constituted an acute crisis in youth custody in Western Australia. This decision was based on findings of deteriorating experiences for young people, including ongoing lockdowns, decreased time out of cell, and a drastic increase in self-harm, which amounted to solitary confinement for children. The recommendations, including the immediate closure of Unit 18, were made to address these harmful and inadequate custodial conditions.
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