Aggressive dogs, handcuffs, face masks on kids: Censored detention facts revealed

Juveniles in Queensland detention were restrained and had aggressive security dogs straining at them, a report has revealed.

The shocking allegations of mistreatment can finally be revealed, after Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath decided to release 159 more pages from a heavily redacted report.

Screen capture of CCTV footage of "Young Person A1" on February 13, 2013 at Brisbane Correctional Centre.

The public had been left guessing about the full details after more than 200 pages of the youth detention report were redacted.

The review found there were "several instances" of a young person being hog-tied.

An unmuzzled dog prevents three young inmates exiting a pool.Credit: Independent Review of Youth Detention Report

Authorities approved a young, self-harming person to be secured by handcuffs and leg cuffs, with their hands linked up to their feet, for "no more than 20 minutes" while medication was given to sedate them, with concerns for their mental health.

In another case, an Indigenous 17-year-old man was placed in a body belt, handcuffs and a face helmet for 70 minutes at the Brisbane Correctional Centre after pressing the intercom button repeatedly "without reason".

Prior to the incident in February 2013, he had complained he needed more toilet paper.

Afterwards, the Office of the Chief Inspector concluded putting him in restraints did not appear to be fair, just and reasonable.

He was also confined to his cell for at least 22 hours per day with no interaction and one weekly phone call, and complained staff members removed his mattress.

The report recommended the government write to the teen, referred to as "Young Person A1", and apologise for unlawful segregation.

In another incident, "Young Person A3" was held down and had his clothes cut off at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre after allegedly sitting on a kitchen bench and being non-compliant and aggressive.

Fourteen youth detention staff were called to the incident in January 2013, and he was held on the ground for 23 minutes in leg and ankle cuffs, lifted and carried to a separation room, where his clothes were forcibly cut off, leaving him naked.

The review argued reports of the incident by staff overstated the level of aggression displayed by A3.

The use of a security dog at the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre was "pervasive", the report says, even though they were supposed to be used as a visual deterrent to stop youths accessing building sites or climbing the roof.

Security dogs are no longer used.

An inspection from September 2015 revealed concerns a dog managed by a private security guard was aggressively barking and straining towards young people for no apparent reason while they were walking with staff.

The dogs were removed after an unmuzzled dog was used to prevent three girls from exiting a pool.

The girls had run and jumped in the pool, where they stayed for three hours, during negotiations.

CCTV footage shows there were several times when the dog approached the edge of the pool aggressively, snapping and snarling, as the girls tried to get out.

Staff said they were trying to make sure the youths did not get on the roof, but the review stated the precise reasons for using the dog were unclear.

"It seems unlikely that the presence of a security dog at the edge of the pool, as is seen on the CCTV footage, would be of any use in encouraging the three young people who were in the pool to get out," the Review reads.

In May, Ms D'Ath announced she would have the heavily-redacted report reviewed to see if more information could be released after criticism from the media and LNP opposition.

Releasing the updated report on Wednesday, Ms D'Ath said it did not change the government's response or commitment to action, as they were based on the full report.

"On April 26, the Palaszczuk government announced we had accepted all of the report's recommendations to improve practices and services and pointed out that many had already been addressed," she said.

Ms D'Ath defended not deciding to review the advice from Crown Law to heavily react the report back in April, before releasing the first version.

"It is important that we make sure that we're as transparent as we can be with this report and with incidents that happen within our youth detention centre," she said.

"It is a fine balance to make sure we are releasing in the public interest as much information as possible but maintaining those obligations as well.

"Yes, it was very conservative, but it was also in my mind to get this document out as quickly as possible."

Chief Inspector of Corrective Services Samay Zhouand said the previous approach to redactions was understandable, given the importance and complexity of the issues.

Shadow Attorney-General Ian Walker said it had taken two months of kicking and screaming for more of the report to be released.

The Independent Review of Youth Detention was ordered by Ms D'Ath in August 2016, a month after a royal commission was ordered in the Northern Territory following the airing of footage and allegations of mistreatment of children in youth detention.

It found several issues identified two decades ago in an investigation remained in 2017.