Close Don Dale movement secures meeting with Territory Families

Activists calling for the closure of the NT’s most infamous youth prison have secured a meeting with the Territory Families Minister.

ACTIVISTS calling for the closure of the NT’s most infamous youth prison have secured a meeting with the Territory Families Minister.

Kate Worden is expected to meet with three representatives of the Close Don Dale Now movement in her parliamentary offices on Thursday.

A Close Don Dale Now spokeswoman said they wanted to discuss closing the youth detention centre based out of the former maximum security of Berrimah Prison.

She said the group hoped to talk about establishing a rehabilitative models of care, the Aboriginal Justice Agreement, and raising the age of criminal responsibility.

She said spit hood use would also be discussed after the NT News exclusively revealed the controversial restraints were only used by NT Police, Queensland Police and the ACT by the Federal Police.

The Gardens Oval lights are up, with this Friday night's game to be the first under lights at the venue. Hon Kate Worden and Lord Mayor of Darwin the Hon. Kon Vatskalis welcome the new lights. Photograph: Che Chorley

The group has been staging weekly protests outside the prison, that have detained children as young as 10, since Christmas.

Data provided by the NT Government has shown an increase in self-harming rates inside Don Dale, amid a skyrocketing numbers of kids kept in Territory prisons, jumping from 64 kids in the final six months of 2020 to 199 at the end of 2021.

The group has also staged demonstrations outside NT ministers’ offices, including one at Ms Worden’s office earlier this month where a protester was arrested by police.

Ms Worden said Don Dale would be replaced by a new “evidence based and therapeutic” facility.

“I will listen to the concerns of the Close Don Dale group. We have reformed our youth justice system,” Ms Worden said.

The youth justice activists are expected to speak to the media following their meeting with the minister on Thursday afternoon.