Parkville College youth offenders voice concerns for parliamentary inquiry into Victorian prisons

YOUNG crooks doing time in Victoria’s youth prisons have complained about “disgusting” food, unhealthy conditions and uncomfortable seats.

YOUNG crooks doing time in Victoria’s youth prisons have complained about “disgusting” food, unhealthy conditions and uncomfortable seats.

Lack of contact with lawyers is also ticking off teen inmates who brand their portrayal in the media “as bad people that are out of control” unfair.

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The gripes are contained in a submission from students at the in-house Parkville College to a parliamentary inquiry into Victoria’s youth justice centres.

One youth, held in the Barwon Prison’s Grevillea Unit, complained:

“The food here is not enough and it’s not nice.”

Riots at Melbourne Youth Justice Centre in Parkville

Riots at Melbourne Youth Justice Centre in Parkville.

“I always wake up feeling hungry and the breakfast that I get is not enough.

“It’s just a plastic bag with a juice box and a little box of rice bubbles the size of my

palm.”

Another youth held at Parkville complained: “The hardest things about being locked is no good food, no proper mates, not healthy.”

“The adjectives I would use to describe Parkville Youth Justice Precinct are terrible, crap, boring, scary, loud, outdated, unhealthy, no freedom.

“Coming here has helped because I honestly am never coming back, this place is disgusting.

Added one inmate: “Its (sic) the same food everyday and some people wont (sic) even eat it.”

Not seeing their lawyers raised the ire of many youths.

A 15-year-old, who first came to Parkville aged 12, said: “My experiences of lawyers and the courts have been bad.”

Young offenders scaled the roof at Melbourne Youth Justice Centre.

Police work to stop rioting at Melbourne Youth Justice Centre in Parkville.

“The judge in court puts me down and makes me sound like a bad person.

“My lawyer hasn’t visited me once this time.”

One youth — sent to Parkville as a 12-year-old about two years ago — on detailing their design for a “perfect youth justice system” wrote: “I think there should be more comfortable spots to sit in court cells.”

One youth branded the courts “dogs”.

Almost all hated their portrayal in the media.

“The media makes us people look bad out in the community,’’ one wrote.

Another said: “I personally feel like the media label us as terrifying and bad people and that people should fear for their lives.”