The bulk of those incidents occurred after a royal commission was called following exposure of similar tactics at the Northern Territory’s Don Dale detention centre. “Like Don Dale, Banksia Hill is a sinking ship that should be abandoned and replaced with small, home-like facilities,” Ruth Barson, director of legal advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, said. He called on the McGowan government, which was critical of the decision to close WA’s only other youth detention centre in 2012 and repeatedly critical of the management of Banksia Hill while in opposition, to fix the problem. Logan said he agreed WA needed a second youth detention centre but that the state could not afford to build it. “There is no question that Banksia Hill should not be the only youth justice facility in Western Australia,” he said.

Source: The Guardian April 18, 2018 09:11 UTC