Concerns have been raised about housing young female detainees in the male section of a youth prison in the Northern Territory so that COVID-positive boys can isolate in the girls' area.
The isolation policy inside the Alice Springs youth detention centre has been revealed in a report obtained by the ABC through a Freedom of Information request.
The report — prepared by a government-appointed observer known as an Official Visitor — says the small size of the facility has led to the female section being co-opted as an isolation area.
"I am concerned that female youth are not housed within their own separate sector," the Official Visitor stated after a touring the facility in late July.
At the time, there were 12 male detainees and two females at the centre, all of whom were Indigenous and ranged in age from 13 to 17.
While the report noted the girls had been given their own room within the boys' section, and showered separately to male youth, the Official Visitor flagged additional issues.
"With female youth requiring their own feminine hygiene requirements, I further believe that it is necessary that such female youth have their own bathroom (with the provision of feminine hygiene disposal requirements)."
The Territory Families department told the ABC the girls had their own bathroom and were given "appropriate access to and ways of disposing of feminine hygiene products".
The department also said it was "not uncommon" for males and females to share facilities, including classrooms, and added that detainees are supervised at all times in shared spaces.
But Central Australian Youth Justice Network chair Kirsten Wilson said the issue showed the facility was not fit for purpose.
"One of the issues that it raises is that young women don't have any space away from the young men in the facility unless they are locked down in their own cell," Ms Wilson said.
She called for the development of an alternative COVID-19 isolation policy at the Alice Springs facility.
However, despite the recent revocation of mandatory five-day isolation periods in the broader community, the department said protocols were still in place inside its facilities.
"[The department] continues to implement the Northern Territory chief health officer's directions in regards to COVID-19 protocols in youth detention centres as they are considered high risk facilities."
Programs for detainees mostly designed for boys: report
The July visit was the first conducted by the Official Visitor since September last year, and came shortly before the ABC revealed the NT government had failed to adhere to its own monthly monitoring requirements for more than a year.
In addition to concerns about the COVID-19 isolation policy, the Official Visitor's latest report also notes that programs within the facility are more tailored towards male youth than female youth.
The same inequity was identified as part of a royal commission into youth detention in 2017, which recommended:
"Girls and young women in youth detention have equivalent access to education, training recreation and personal care facilities as boys and young men."
Ms Wilson said it was "really concerning" the issue was still being raised five years after the royal commission's damning findings were handed down.
The department said many activities within its detention facilities are unisex, including music, cooking and arts programs.
However, it said it was "actively looking" to commence a female-specific cultural program in the Alice Springs facility.
Staff shortages causing 'rolling lockdowns'
The Official Visitor also attended the Don Dale youth detention centre in Darwin in early July, noting that "rolling lockdowns" had been occurring due to staff shortages.
The department said lockdowns meant young people were confined to their rooms "until operations normalise", and were only "used sparingly, as a last resort".
But Ms Wilson said such approaches exacerbated mental health issues for young people and contributed to increased rates of self-harm within the facilities.
"We know that being isolated is a significant impact of child wellbeing and mental health," she said.
She said she hoped the department's newly implemented "model of care" would give families a greater role in supporting at-risk detainees.
"How can we support them to feel connected with family and feel less isolated within the detention centre?"
In their report, the Official Visitor also stated the department must adhere to its own guidelines, including that at-risk youth be assessed by a medical practitioner within 24 hours.
Earlier this month, the Northern Territory government enacted laws allowing independent inspectors, such as the children's commissioner, unfettered access to the detention facilities.
The government has also introduced legislation to increase the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12.
