A passionate group ranging from Elders to school children protested in Canning Vale on Wednesday against what was described as prison brutality and inhumane treatment towards children at the Banksia Hill Detention Centre.
The protesters were there to support a class action against Banksia Hill, and included former inmates, community leaders and family members of current detainees.
Banksia Hill is the only prison in Western Australia that houses both boys and girls between the ages of ten and 17 years old.
According to a recent census, First Nations people make up over two-thirds (68.7%) of juvenile offenders in Western Australia.
Joel Mead, a former inmate, described his experience as a 16-year-old being in solitary confinement at Banksia Hill.
“It wasn’t good at all. I was not allowed out to see anyone or anything. I had to go back to lockdown and it was 24/7 for two weeks straight.”
Megan Krakouer from the National Suicide Prevention & Trauma Recovery Project organised the community-led protest.
Young protestors supporting the call for a class action against the treatment of juvenile inmates. Source: Supplied: Megan Krakouer
Along with other prominent community leaders, she has started a class action suit against Banksia Hill, and says she has testimony from many more juvenile inmates with similar experiences to Joel.
“Children in this place are getting flogged, they’re getting abused, they’re being denied psychological services and education," she told NITV News.
“The class action has got over 500 plaintiffs from right across Western Australia. They are from Broome, Kununurra, Albany to Perth.
"We are all coming together and saying enough is enough.”
Human rights lawyer Dr Hannah McGlade supported the class action.
“I’m here to support the class action to litigate for the youth of Banksia Hill who have been abused and had their rights violated.
“We know about the solitary confinement that has been going on here and the great harm this causes to children and young people,” Dr Mcglade said.
The class action review against Banksia Hill Detention Centre alleges proof of inhumane treatment, solitary confinement in intensive support units and deprived family contact.
Anne Dann is an Elder of Broome, and says family was not contacted when her grandson was injured at the facility.
“Look at my grandson, he came from Broome. He was in the Department of child protection from ten years old in Banksia. He is 17 today in Banksia. They broke his finger with the cell door and he had nobody to turn back to at home.”
Mervyn Eades, C.E.O of Ngalla Maya, an organisation that helps former inmates gain employment, says his own brother struggled in the facilities.
“The stuff that has been going on in there is so bad it’s not right. It’s just a vicious cycle, the revolving door of incarceration.
“I had a little brother in this same prison. He grew up here from a young age, in And out of child protection and welfare. He left here and went to Hakea Prison and hung himself 156 days after he arrived in adult prison.
“This place breaks our children, it shatters them.” Said Mr Eades.
Over 10,000 children have been detained at the Banksia Hill Detention centre since it opened in 1997.
