Staff were watching movies when teenager self-harmed in WA youth detention cell

Warning: this report contains the name and image of a deceased Indigenous person, with his family’s permission.

An internal probe into the circumstances surrounding 16-year-old Cleveland Dodd’s death in the youth wing of a West Australian adult prison has uncovered serious systematic failures, with revelations staff were watching movies while he took his own life last month.

Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia said the “disturbing” report had uncovered failures which “confirms the need for serious change”, and pledged to close Unit 18 at maximum-security Casuarina Prison as soon as a suitable replacement was found.

“Cleveland should be alive today. The fact he is not is, without question, a devastating tragedy. Put simply, we let him down,” Papalia said.

“Swift action has been taken to address some serious failures which were identified.”

Cleveland Dodd with his mother Nadene.

The report details calls for help using the cell intercoms from Dodd and another young person, quoting the replies they received from the unit’s control officer.

A young person in a cell near Dodd’s contacted the control room, saying: “Cleveland’s gonna kill himself, he’s not talking back to me.”

“I can’t hear you, what did you say?” the officer asked.

“Cleveland’s hanging in his cell,” the youth replied.

“Alright, I’ll get someone up there to chat,” the officer said.

“It’s an emergency bro,” the young person replied.

The revelations come amid conflicting reports about what happened in the moments before Cleveland was rushed to hospital after self-harming on October 12. He died a week later.

Although some staff members were yet to be interviewed because they were on worker’s compensation leave, Papalia said it was important to act now because of the concerning nature of the report.

He admitted there had been toilet paper covering the CCTV camera in Cleveland’s cell from 3pm until 1.53am on the night he self-harmed, and it was only removed after CPR had commenced in an attempt to save his life.

The report confirmed guards had pre-filled the logbook which was meant to record regular check-ins on the young detainees. Dodd’s form was ticked from 7.15pm through to 6am, despite Dodd leaving his unit at 2.29am with paramedics.

“Operational procedures were not followed on the night. Record-keeping was poor and not up to standard,” Papalia said.

“Two of the five staff required to wear body worn cameras on the night did not sign out their devices. It appears staff were resting or watching movies at the time Cleveland self-harmed.”

Papalia also admitted Cleveland should not have remained in a damaged cell where “something of this nature could occur”.

“Individually none of these things are acceptable. Collectively, they are disturbing and confirm the need for significant cultural change,” he said.

The report identified several other issues warranting further investigation, including the lack of formal shift handover among guards, officers failing to report self-harm attempts and pre-filling welfare check logs, nightshift staff turning off lights throughout the complex which disrupted CCTV visibility, sleeping, resting and watching YouTube.

Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce said all detainees in Unit 18 would be moved to a different wing to allow for more time out of their cells.

He also admitted technology in the prison needed to be upgraded and pledged to introduce new body-worn cameras that would livestream to the command centre, emulating the system WA Police used.

“I’m committed to properly equipping the staff so that they are well resourced to do the job, no matter what the situation, no matter how tough it is,” Royce said

“I’m telling you, when you go in there it is confronting. The officers want to go there because they want to make a difference.

“My aim is to take their passion, give them capability and a lot of training, and get that team environment going.”

Cleveland calls for help

1.22am

Cleveland makes a cell call to the Unit 18 control room asking how long he had been at the facility, and was advised the officer would check.

Cleveland: “I’m hanging myself. Tell [first name of a youth custodial officer].” 

Control officer: “Alright, will do mate.”

1:27am

Cleveland makes a second cell call to the control officer. Dodd: “I’m going to hang myself.” 

Control officer: “Cleveland, don’t be talking like that. [Youth custodial officer] is going to come and see you. I’ve just spoken to him, OK?” 

Cleveland: “I’m through full. I’m gonna put that (unclear) in my vent, I’m gonna hang myself.”

Control officer: “Don’t be talking like that, Cleveland, [youth custodial officer] is gonna come up and see you, OK mate?” The requested youth custodial officer attends to Cleveland immediately, converses with him for a matter of seconds before attending to another inmate on the at risk management system.

1.42am

Another prisoner contacts the control room, saying: “Cleveland’s gonna kill himself, he’s not talking back to me.”

Control officer replies: “I can’t hear you, what did you say?“

Prisoner: “Cleveland’s hanging in his cell.”

Control officer: “Alright, I’ll get someone up there to chat.”

Prisoner: “It’s an emergency bro”. 

WA’s notorious Unit 18 was repurposed as a juvenile centre in July 2022 after the state’s only youth detention centre, Banksia Hill, was damaged by a riot which prompted the government to split the inmate cohort in two.

The state government has come under intense scrutiny over the facility, which advocates, including respected public health expert Fiona Stanley, have long warned was failing vulnerable children and kept youths confined to their cells for up to 20 hours per day illegally.

The incident also follows the release of the disability royal commission report, which recommended both Unit 18 and Banksia Hill stop using solitary confinement and that the government legislate a ban on the practice.

But the WA government has continued to insist it has no choice but to use Unit 18, and there was no timeline for the delivery of a viable alternative.

Papalia has spent the past week defending the conduct of guards on duty after an ABC report raised questions about how promptly staff heeded Dodd’s warnings that he planned to take his life.

Cleveland died in hospital on October 19, one week after self-harming in his cell, becoming the first West Australian to die in the youth detention system.

Papalia insisted he had provided media with the information he had received in the immediate aftermath of the incident, most of which was based on personal accounts.

Crisis support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14. For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).

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