New reporting from the ABC has further exposed the terrible circumstances children face in adult watch houses in Tasmania, and shown why the next government must commit to ending this practice.
In recent months we’ve seen a courageous corrections worker describe the experience of children in adult corrections facilities to a Parliamentary inquiry, and the Custodial Inspector deliver a damning report on the issue. Both these accounts, and the RTI obtained by the ABC, demonstrate in grim detail why we cannot keep sending children into these places.
What we are seeing children being put through in these facilities is appalling. They are confined in close quarters with up to two dozen other detainees – who are often screaming, yelling, abusing, crying and coming off drugs. There is no doubt that for many kids this experience will cause extreme distress and lasting trauma.
The Greens have raised this issue a number of times in Parliament, including asking questions of the Premier. But so far we have not seen any meaningful response. That is not good enough.
With the state now in the middle of an election campaign, we’re calling on both the major parties to make a clear commitment: if they form government, they will end the practice of sending children to adult watchhouses.
With hundreds of children every year being sent to these facilities, we know this situation won’t be fixed overnight. But the starting point is simple – a recognition we just cannot allow this appalling practice to continue.
As a society, we cannot stand by while children are traumatised in adult prison facilities. We urge both Jeremy Rockliff and Dean Winter to recognise this should not be allowed to continue, and to do the right thing.
