Teens on Don Dale Youth Detention Centre roof more than 12 hours after multiple fires allegedly set

A police officer’s leg was allegedly fractured by a ‘projectile’ thrown when 16 teenagers rioted in Don Dale, with inspectors still assessing the damage to the children’s prison.

April 4: Six teenagers spent more than 12 hours on the roof of Don Dale following a series of fires at the infamous Don Dale Youth Detention Centre.

Don Dale was in lockdown on Thursday, with 44 teenagers secured in their room as police investigate an alleged riot which resulted in fires, property damage and an officer suffering a fractured leg.

Territory Families Minister Ngaree Ah Kit confirmed that 16 young people were part of the critical incident, which started as a conflict between some teenagers in the detention centre classroom at 2.30pm, Wednesday and quickly escalated.

Ms Ah Kit said the teenagers accessed secure areas of the prison, and climbed onto the roof of the facility.

“(Youth Justice Officers) were not able to de-escalate the situation and they needed to retreat and call backup,” she said.

Territory Families Minister Ngaree Ah Kit outside of the NT Parliament. Picture: Zizi Averill

Ms Ah Kit said police were called in to regain control of the critical incident, with an investigation now ongoing to assess if criminal charges should be laid.

On Thursday Acting Police Commissioner Martin Dole said he expected the teenagers would be charged with assaulting police and criminal damage following the alleged riot.

Mr Dole said 14 young people who climbed onto the roof “were throwing projectiles at the attending members”, with six teenagers remaining on the roof until 7am, Thursday — 16 hours after the incident began.

Mr Dole alleged a police officer’s leg was fractured by a “projectile” thrown at him.

A structure fire at the centre was initially reported at 5pm — two and a half hours after police attended the scene — and was contained after two hours at 7.30pm.

Ms Ah Kit said the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics was assessing the damage, which appears to be concentrated in the education block, some recreational spaces, and the admissions area.

Territory Families chief executive Emma White outside of the NT Parliament. Picture: Zizi Averill

Territory Families Chief Executive Emma White said this was the first time in three years NT Police had been called to the detention centre, saying it “used to be a weekly occurrence”.

Ms White acknowledged there was a 25 per cent increase in the number of children locked up over the past seven days, with a total of 44 young people in the centre when the alleged riot broke out.

“They have very complex backgrounds, they often have really problematic behaviours and its partially what’s led them into detention,” Ms White said.

“We’re managing a dynamic in a peer group.”

Ms White said the centre was fully staffed, with 33 workers for the 44 teenagers meaning there was almost a one-to-one staffing ratio.

Community and Public Sector Union NT Regional Secretary David Villegas said while staffing was “sufficient” on Wednesday, the incident highlighted the need to “implement safe minimum staffing ratios in youth justice”.

“It’s clear that current staffing standards falls short in guaranteeing the safety and welfare of both workers and detainees,” Mr Villegas said.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The NT Office of the Children’s commissioner has consistently raised the alarm over extensive lockdown regimes largely due to staffing shortages, with some children being held in their cells for 23 hours a day in late-2021.

Ms White would not confirm how many hours the children were out of their cells each day, what programs outside of the school were accessible, or if there was a system of rolling unlocks at the centre prior to the riot.

“We do lock down under certain sets of circumstances, mostly driven by the safety of young people and sometimes the safety of staff,” she said.

Ms White was asked about incidents where two staff suffered an electrical shock last month after young people caused damage to electricals' in the education block.

While Ms White said she could not comment on ongoing investigations, she noted that the rate of injuries and assaults had fallen over the past five years.

NT Police, firefighters and paramedics were called to a reported riot in which fires were lit at Don Dale Detention Centre on Wednesday, April 3. Picture: Zizi Averill

The Territory has the highest rate of assaults on children in the care of Youth Justice Officers in the country, with 70 incidents in 2022-23.

The Productivity Commission also found there were 17 assaults on staff that same year.

The former high-security Berrimah prison — described by the former Corrections Commissioner as “only fit for a bulldozer — has been used by Territory Families to hold children for almost a decade.

But on Thursday Ms Ah Kit recognised the prison was never set up for young people.

“It was built for full-grown adults, not for young people to be incarcerated,” she said.

The long awaited new youth justice facility, next door to the adult Holtze prison, is expected to open by July.

NT Police, firefighters and paramedics were called to a reported riot in which fires were lit at Don Dale Detention Centre on Wednesday, April 3. Picture: Zizi Averill

Chief Minister Eva Lawler said once completed the centre would be “ an absolute state of the art facility and truly, it can’t be open soon enough from my point of view”.

The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency renewed calls to immediate close the Berrimah prison, and investigate alternative accommodation options for the children currently locked inside.

NAAJA Principal Legal Officer Jared Sharp said half of the teenagers were unsentenced and being held on remand.

“What we are seeing is the direct result of the appalling conditions within Don Dale – a facility that has repeatedly proven that it is unable to accommodate the needs of a highly vulnerable group of children,” Mr Sharp said.

Mr Sharp said the 2021 youth bail changes resulted in a surge in detention rates “which stressed the system beyond capacity and has undoubtedly contributed to deteriorating conditions”.

According to the Productivity Commission 80 per cent of children put in Territory detention centres will end up behind bars again within 12 months – the highest reoffending rate in the country.

Opposition Territory Families and Youth Spokesman Josh Burgoyne. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

But Opposition Territory Families and Youth Spokesman Joshua Burgoyne said the lack of adequate rehabilitation programs in the NT meant young people “don’t change their behaviour”.

“What’s needed are secure, long-term rehabilitation options tailored for young individuals who may only respond to specialised services,” he said.

Young people climb onto Don Dale roof amid fire

Initial, 7.30pm, April 3: A group of teenagers climbed on the roof of the infamous Don Dale as a fire burned below.

Police, firefighters and paramedics were called to the Berrimah prison on Tivendale Rd at about 5pm, Wednesday following reports of smoke coming from the centre.

It is understood that up to 10 children were climbing on the roof, the second time in just four days where young people have been seen on the top of the prison.

NT Police, firefighters and paramedics were called Don Dale Detention Centre on Wednesday, April 3. Picture: Zizi Averill

Emergency services remained on scene for more than two hours, with the fire extinguished by 7.30pm.

Territory Families Youth Justice General Manager Sasha Dennis, who was at the scene, confirmed that there were no recorded injuries among the young people or staff.

Ms Dennis said the fire had been extinguished by 7.30pm.

Don Dale Detention Centre on Wednesday, April 3. Picture: Zizi Averill

The incident comes two months after youths staged a protest by climbing on the roof of Don Dale, and shouting: “we want freedom “ and “we’re sick of being locked down every night”.

NT Police, firefighters and paramedics at Don Dale Detention Centre on Wednesday, April 3. Picture: Zizi Averill

The Berrimah prison — a formerly decommissioned facility — was meant to be closed months ago, but the teenagers have not been moved due to ongoing delays with the new Holtze detention centre.

The children who were on the roof and near the fire are in the care of Territory Families Chief Executive Emma White.

Territory Families has been contacted for further comment.

Two CLP representatives were also at the scene.

Originally published as Teens on Don Dale Youth Detention Centre roof more than 12 hours after multiple fires allegedly set