Children incarcerated at two south-east Queensland youth detention facilities were allegedly locked down for an entire weekend due to staff shortages that have prompted dozens of workers across the state to walk off the job.
Brisbane, Cleveland and West Moreton Youth Detention Centres, and the Wacol Youth Remand Centre, have been subject to ongoing staffing issues, resulting in lockdowns and strict conditions being imposed on youth inside.
Data seen by the ABC shows three of four south-east Queensland facilities have detainee numbers above “safe capacity” levels.
Dozens of AWU members were seen congregating outside the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre building. (Background Briefing: Baz Ruddick)
On Thursday employees at detention centres across North Queensland and the south-east took part in a strike, citing safety and health concerns.
Demonstrations began at about 9am and continued for most of the day.
The action comes after hundreds of assaults on detention centre employees over the last year, as well as continued complaints about overcrowding and understaffing.
Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber said all youth detention centres remained “staffed and secure” on Thursday.
Laura Gerber says the department has been negotiating “in good faith”. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)
“Unions employing tactics like this ahead of EBA negotiations isn’t a new concept,” Ms Gerber said.
“The department has been negotiating in good faith and my message to the AWU is to continue having these discussions.”
In Townsville dozens of members of the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) were seen congregating outside the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre building.
Staff at centres in the south-east returned to work on Thursday afternoon after negotiations between the union and the Youth Justice Department.
The AWU has been contacted for comment.
Weekend-long lockdown
Youth Advocacy Centre chief executive Katherine Hayes said similar issues had led to lockdowns in the months in the lead-up to Thursday’s strikes.
She said she was in the process of filing a human rights complaint on behalf of half a dozen children incarcerated at the Wacol Youth Remand Centre and Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.
It is alleged they were subject to a lockdown from Friday, May 22 until Sunday, May 24, due to understaffing.
Half a dozen children at the Wacol Youth Remand Centre and Brisbane Youth Detention Centre were allegedly subjected to a lockdown for several days in May. (ABC News: Mark Slade)
Ms Hayes said such issues had worsened in recent weeks and occurred whenever there were major events on in Brisbane.
“Like some big rugby match, music festival, something like the corporate games,” she said.
“There’s always staff shortages.”
Ms Hayes said children between the ages of 10 and 18 could be isolated for up to 23 hours at a time when lockdowns were imposed.
“Which apparently meets the international definition of solitary confinement and is accepted as being psychologically damaging,” she said.
In other instances, she said, they were “let out for either a five or 10-minute phone call with family, or some other kind of minor interaction with one other young person”.
Limited showers, no privacy
Ms Hayes also raised issues with one Brisbane centre’s cells, which she described as “just a concrete box with a mattress on a bench” and “one of those rudimentary toilets that has no privacy”.
A cell at Wacol Youth Remand Centre, where children have been kept for up to three weeks at times. (Supplied)
“My understanding is that the kids, when they’re in lockdown at the Wacol Youth Remand Centre, they also then don’t have access to showers because they need staff members to escort them,” she said.
“So, the possibility of a strike would mean that these kids’ hygiene is being compromised, as well as not having access to education and other rehabilitative measures.”
She called on the state government to urgently address the problems, to ensure detained youth received intended rehabilitation, mental and physical health support, family support, and engagement.
“Queensland locks up the most kids in Australia and we’ve got one of the highest reoffending rates,” Ms Hayes said.
“The reason why detention in Queensland doesn’t work is because of issues like staff shortages.
“All of that needs to happen so that when the kids come out, the community is safer”.
