UN body on Arbitrary Detention blocked from NT prisons, watch houses, youth detention centres

The NT Government has been accused of ‘hiding’ conditions inside prisons, watch houses, and youth detention centres after blocking United Nations experts from accessing facilities.

Central Australian women were kept in crowded conditions in the Alice Springs Watch house in early 2025 due to the overflow of Corrections prisoners into the NT Police facility.

International human rights inspectors have been blocked from accessing Northern Territory prisons, watch houses, and youth detention centres, with workers gagged from speaking with United Nations officials.

The NT News has confirmed that the NT Government has barred the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention from accessing all government-operated facilities during their four-day visit this week.

The Human Rights body investigates alleged incidents where children, prisoners, migrants or people with mental health issues are “deprivation of liberty imposed arbitrarily or inconsistently” with national or international laws.

In November the expert group announced it would conduct an official visit to Australia, with the 12 day tour to focus on the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

The working group was expected to travel to the Northern Territory for four days from Sunday, December 7.

Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley and Corrections Minister Gerard Maley. Picture: Fia Walsh.

However the NT News has obtained an email from a senior Corrections manager to all staff on Friday which said the NT Government said it was “unable to accommodate” the visit from the UN officials.

“This position applies to both visits to Northern Territory Government-operated facilities and participation in meetings with Northern Territory Government personnel,” the email said.

The senior corrections official said the UN inspectors may still attempt to make “unannounced visits to government operated facilities during this period”.

The NT News has confirmed that police were also told that the United Nations inspectors could not access the watch houses.

Corrections Minister Gerard Maley has claimed the government was unable to accommodate the detention facility visits due to “operational capacity, safety and workforce resourcing priorities”.

“Territory detention facilities operate under established, independent statutory oversight, with strong safeguards and accountability for all people in detention and custody,” Mr Maley said.

Central Australian women were kept in crowded conditions in the Alice Springs Watch house in early 2025 due to the overflow of Corrections prisoners into the NT Police facility.

However a recent report by the acting Ombudsman has condemned conditions in NT watch houses, and found Territorians were held in “unreasonable and oppressive” conditions for extensive periods, with severe overcrowding, unhygienic conditions, and were deprived of their sleep due to the 24/7 lighting in cells only designed for short-term custody.

The blockage of the human rights observer’s visit also comes just a month after NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage and various lawyers were able to access the Darwin Correctional Centre as part of a death in custody inquest.

An NT Ombudsman report has exposed the shocking conditions for prisoners in police watch houses. Photograph of cell 4 in the Alice Springs Watch House. Corrections assess this cell to be capable of holding a maximum of 15 occupants. This photograph was taken in October 2025 but is representative of the conditions during the review period.

At the time of the coronial visit in November the average prison population was 2835, but UN officials were blocked from visiting Corrections facilities after the population had decreased to 2796, as of Monday.

Shadow Attorney-General Chansey Paech said blocking the United Nations experts from inspecting facilities was a “serious and unprecedented step for the Northern Territory”.

“This decision signals that the CLP Government is unwilling to meet the basic expectations of international oversight,” Mr Paech said.

“It’s another example of a CLP Government that has given up on rehabilitation and is now hiding what is happening inside our prisons.”

Shadow Attorney-General Chansey Paech. Picture: Zizi Averill

Independent member for Johnston Justine Davis said barring the UN inspectors was “outrageous and completely unacceptable”.

“We know from the Ombudsman’s report that people inside NT prisons and watch-houses are enduring inhumane conditions. What else does the government have to hide?” Ms Davis asked.

“When a prison system is under this much pressure, external scrutiny is not optional, it is absolutely essential.

“Refusing access raises serious questions about just how far below international standards our prisons and watch-houses actually are.”

Independent member for Johnston Justine Davis. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Ms Davis called on the government to allow full and immediate UN access, and for their findings to be treated seriously, to ensure that Territorians could trust the systems to “protect the human rights of anyone in its care”.

According to the latest Corrections annual report the average prison population has spiked by 15 per cent over 12 months — meaning Territorians were the most incarcerated people in Australia.

On an average day 2533 Territorians woke up in a cell, more than 1 per cent of the total population.

More than 1000 Territorians were being held without a guilty finding on average in November, according to the latest NT Court local court remand statistics.

The data found that the average wait time in prison for a local court matter was 108 days in November — compared to just 61 days in June 2020.

Originally published as UN body on Arbitrary Detention blocked from NT prisons, watch houses, youth detention centres