‘We hold grave concerns’: Illegal isolation likely still used on kids at Ashley Youth Detention Centre

“Stripped naked, flogged and locked down for weeks on end.” A new report reveals illegal isolation almost certainly continues to this day at the troubled Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

Ashley Youth Detention Centre

Children and young people are likely still being held in illegal isolation at the Ashley Youth Detention Centre.

In its newly tabled final report and recommendations, Tasmania’s child sexual abuse commission of inquiry slammed the state government for still not having taken sufficient action, despite being “on notice” about the widely condemned practice since at least 2013.

In fact, the commissioners said they’d been advised the situation had gotten even worse since August 2022.

They said Children’s Commissioner Leanne McLean notified them in July this year that several Ashley detainees were currently being referred to as “unit-bound” by staff, some young people were being subjected to extended isolation, and staff were threatening to move some youths to units with frequent lockdowns as a means of managing their behaviour.

The commissioners said they’d also been told “quiet time” had been reintroduced, with young people restricted to their rooms every day between 12.30pm to 1.15pm, sometimes without staff present.

Leanne McLean Tasmania's Commissioner for Children and Young People. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“Isolation” refers to the locking up of a young person alone in their unit or room, and operates outside legal procedures in which a young person can be lawfully segregated for safety or security reasons.

The government acknowledged that “restrictive practices” continued at Ashley due to staff shortages.

The commissioners noted the government didn’t respond to Ms McLean’s observations or address their “grave concerns” about the continuing use of isolation – which it said breached human rights and had serious impacts upon the wellbeing of children and young people.

“We remain extremely concerned that isolation practices may be continuing at the centre at the time of writing,” they said.

The report said the state government had been on notice about the practice since at least 2013, when deputy chief magistrate Michael Daly raised his concerns in court.

Since then, concerns over unlawful isolation at Ashley had been raised repeatedly – by the Children’s Commissioner, the Custodial Inspector, an independent investigation – and even by the United Nations (UN).

In November last year, the UN Committee against Torture visited the Ashley Youth Detention Centre – reporting it was “seriously concerned” by what it saw there and that its isolation practices breached the Nelson Mandela Rules for the treatment of prisoners.

A number of former detainees who gave evidence to the commission reported they were isolated for extended periods of time – with one person saying he’d been “hog-tied” and left in his cell.

Another two former detainees said they were held in isolation after suicide attempts, suffering further physical or psychological abuse by staff, and given no counselling support.

James* told the commission that after he stole medical supplies with other detainees and attempting suicide, he was “stripped naked, flogged and locked down on 23-hour-a-day lockdowns for weeks on end”.

The commissioners noted Ashley staff frequently used other words and labels to describe the practice, like “quiet time”, “time out” or “unit-bound”.

Isolation was frequently used at Ashley under what was known as the “Blue Program”, where detainees would be locked up alone after a significant “incident”, given finger food and segregated from their peers, for up to 25 days at a time.

The commissioners said they were disappointed the state government was reconsidering its previous announcement to close Ashley by 2024.

“We hold grave concerns for the safety and wellbeing of all detainees at the centre,” they said.

Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said the government’s failure to respond to concerns over isolation was a reflection of the “continued culture of secrecy and denial related to Ashley”.

“This culture has underpinned the long-term issues at the centre, and led to devastating harm to hundreds of children,” she said.

She called on the government to outline a “concrete timeline” for Ashley’s closure.

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Originally published as ‘We hold grave concerns’: Illegal isolation likely still used on kids at Ashley Youth Detention Centre