Tasmania’s troubled Ashley Youth Detention Centre is experiencing lockdowns at a “disturbing” systemic level, according to the state custodial inspector’s latest annual report.
Richard Connock says children at the facility “rarely achieved” the required minimum of 10 hours outside their rooms each day and said that staffing shortages appeared to be a “major reason” for the lockdowns at Ashley.
The report also highlighted an incident where a young person escaped custody during transport to AYDC, alongside a serious fire incident within the last year.
The inspector said fire safety remains a critical concern at the centre, especially “in circumstances where people are deprived of their liberty and confined in cells”.
Access to phones for contacting oversight bodies were also ‘problematic’ during the year, with many removed from the centre due to damage.
A plan to introduce restricted mobile phones is currently delayed due to technical issues.
A final commission of inquiry report released last month says the centre poses a “live and current” risk of child sexual abuse and called for its immediate closure.
The state government has pledged to close Ashley as ‘quickly as possible’ and shift to more therapeutic facilities, but no specific timeline has been provided.
They initially pledged to close the centre by the end of 2024, but now indicate it may take longer.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff has acknowledged the need to act on the commission of inquiry’s recommendations and ensure community safety.
Minister for Children and Youth Roger Jaensch said that isolation or restrictive practices are not considered punishment, but rather a means to ensure safety due to staffing ratios.
