Eva Lawler denies backflip as plans under way to repurpose Don Dale prison

Eva Lawler has denied backflipping on promises to demolish the notorious facility, which advocates say is ‘the worst its ever been’.

Northern Territory corrections is considering plans to repurpose Don Dale Youth Detention Centre for adult inmates, with a decision on the future of the notorious prison expected to be revealed on Friday.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler has denied backflipping on promises to demolish the facility in line with recommendations of the 2017 Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT.

Don Dale is set to be decommissioned for children by the end of the year once a new, more therapeutic, youth justice facility opens in Darwin.

The government has repeatedly said it looked forward to that day when Don Dale could be demolished: “As soon as the new youth detention facility is opened, the work to demolish Don Dale will start immediately … it’s a terrible stain on the history of the Northern Territory,” Ms Lawler said on February 21.

NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler said promises to demolish Don Dale referred to the original site. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

This week, Ms Lawler clarified she had been referring to demolishing the original site, which has sat empty since 2014 after detainees were moved to the nearby Berrimah Prison, a decommissioned maximum security adult prison.

The former Berrimah Prison site was renamed Don Dale, where it has continued to operate for the past decade.

“The original Don Dale will be knocked down,” Ms Lawler told ABC Radio Darwin on Tuesday.

“The facility that is there now, Corrections are working through what they could do with that facility, because it has had some quite substantial upgrades over the years.

“Whether that becomes a women’s prison, or whether it becomes something else, is some work Commissioner (Matthew) Varley is literally doing now because we know our prisons are full.”

Close Don Dale group member Natalie Hunter demonstrating outside the Youth Justice Centre on Christmas Day 2022.

Close Don Dale advocate Natalie Hunter said it was “disgusting” the facility was being considered for future use.

“It needs to be bulldozed,” she said.

“It’s the worst it’s ever been, with ants, rats, cockroaches – do they want to treat our women like dogs?

“The government needs to start listening to Aboriginal people, and listening to the recommendations it’s paid for.”

Shadow Treasurer Bill Yan, a former general manager of the Alice Springs Correctional Centre, said there were parts of the Don Dale facility fit for use in the short term.

The defunct maximum security adult prison that has been used as Don Dale Youth Detention Centre for the past decade. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“I can categorically say there were some parts that shouldn’t be used for accommodation anymore, and weren’t used for youth offenders,” Mr Yan said.

“There are still some parts there that would be appropriate for adult offenders, in the short term, while plans are made for Corrections to be able to deal with the ever increasing numbers that they’re seeing.

“Labor have failed to plan for this, they knew there were increases in prison numbers when they came into power in 2016 … now we’ve seen another political gymnastics backflip.”

At a press conference on Wednesday, Ms Lawler said the promise to demolish Don Dale after youths moved out was not an indication she had been referring to the current Don Dale site, rather it was to avoid having inmates housed near a demolition zone.

She said Corrections Commissioner Varley would ensure the facility was suitable for “whatever purpose”, and that required standards would be met.

Originally published as Eva Lawler denies backflip as plans under way to repurpose Don Dale prison