OICS Review of Banksia Hill Detention Centre
What was at stake
Multiple inspections found systemic failures: high isolation use, self-harm, staff shortages. Children transferred to adult facility (Casuarina Unit 18) as emergency.
What happened
An inspection of the Intensive Support Unit (ISU) at Banksia Hill Detention Centre was initiated due to escalating critical incidents, including self-harm and attempted suicides among detainees. Detailed analysis revealed that, throughout November 2021, at least three detainees did not receive their minimum out-of-cell time on multiple occasions, resulting in breaches of their human rights.
What the court decided
Inspector found WA youth detention in crisis. Recommended therapeutic model, Aboriginal cultural programs, reduced isolation. Unit 18 drew national condemnation.
How the court got there
The inspection was prompted by significant concerns regarding the welfare of both detainees and staff following a period of heightened critical incidents. The Inspector concluded that the human rights of detainees within the ISU were being breached, citing specific instances where minimum out-of-cell requirements were not met, a finding consistent with previous inspections in this area.
Categories
Authoritative link
This is a research and reference resource, not legal advice. Summaries are prepared from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always read the original judgment or document and consult a qualified lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction before acting.
Narrative summaries on this page are licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Reuse them with attribution to JusticeHub for non-commercial purposes. Original judgments and source documents remain under their own terms; follow the authoritative link for the source of record.