A young Aboriginal person detained at the Don Dale detention center in the Northern Territory was held in isolation for 84 hours, unable to leave their cell or contact any support person, and was denied food at times as a coercion tactic by officers. An investigation by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner found that officers exceeded the maximum isolation time by 12 hours and failed to provide proper monitoring and reporting of how long the young person was in isolation.
The investigation also found that the young person was denied food for making several intercom calls to staff asking for food. The report acknowledged that staff were operating in difficult conditions after a major disturbance but also noted that the young person had previously handed in a weapon and had a history of traumatic childhood experiences and mental health concerns. The NT Department of Corrections accepted two out of five of the report’s recommendations but did not accept other recommendations. Advocates say that these issues highlight systemic problems driven by staff shortages and detention centers at or near capacity, as around 90% of those in detention are Aboriginal young people. Crisis support services are available for individuals in need.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/05/don-dale-detention-centre-84-hours-isolation-denied-food-coercion-technique-ntwnfb
