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Don Dale - 'ignored at highest level' (Read 583 times)
mothra
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Don Dale - 'ignored at highest level'
Mar 30th, 2017 at 3:36pm
 
Calls for change were 'ignored at highest level', says former Don Dale assistant general manager

By Nadia Daly

The former assistant general manager at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre has accepted some responsibility for the centre's failures.

Giving evidence for the second day at the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory, James Sizeland said calls for change were "ignored at the highest level" in the corrections system.

This included his desire to see "hanging points" (areas where detainees could potentially hang themselves) and asbestos removed, and for staff to be better trained.

The Commission was read an email from Corrections staff member Kevin Cooper to former corrections commissioner Ken Middlebrook which said: "There is a suggestion that in the main, youth justice officers demonstrated good will but they lack leadership, guidance, security awareness and know-how.

"There's an apparent culture of learned helplessness among staff and management in the Don Dale centre. The lack of standard operating procedures is abhorrent. Staff and management are in the midst of crisis management on an hourly basis," Mr Cooper wrote.

Mr Middlebrook's email reply laid the blame on Mr Sizeland, commenting he was "built like ox, smart like tractor".

Mr Sizeland told the royal commission that he did not accept any blame for problems at Don Dale and believed he was used by Corrections as a "scapegoat".

Don Dale's managers have to take responsibility: NAAJA

However, lawyer Peggy Dwyer, representing the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, said not everyone could evade responsibility.

"The royal commission is going to see a lot of this going on," she said.

"I anticipate the [corrections] commissioner is going to say: 'it wasn't my fault, I asked middle management to deal with it.' And people above you will say 'it's not my fault, I asked Mr Sizeland to deal with it'. And people below you will say 'it's not my fault I told Mr Sizeland'. Do you accept your role in a system that completely failed children?"

Current guard 'never spat on or attacked'

The royal commission also for the first time heard from a current youth detention guard who said staff were overworked, undertrained and poorly equipped to deal with the complex issues youth detention presented.

Youth Justice Officer Ian Johns began working at Don Dale in 2005.

He said he had a good rapport with many of the young detainees because he took the time to get to know them, and as a result he was never spat on or attacked.

In a statement to the commission he said he believed "a majority of the workers I have known are very passionate and care about the welfare of the kids" in detention.

However he said there was a shift in culture at Don Dale in 2014 when "the Northern Territory Government started hiring 'muscle'".

Mr Johns highlighted the lack of training of staff as one of the most important issues facing youth detention in the Northern Territory.

However he noted training for Youth Justice Officers had improved since 2015.

He also said he saw Don Dale used as a "child minding centre" by the courts and the NT Department of Children and Families.

"It seems to me that the legal profession and department seems to disagree who pays for the repatriation, which can result in kids staying longer in Don Dale," his statement read.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-28/calls-for-change-at-don-dale-were-ignored-...
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If you can't be a good example, you have to be a horrible warning.
 
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John Smith
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Re: Don Dale - 'ignored at highest level'
Reply #1 - Mar 30th, 2017 at 4:09pm
 
there have been some horrid stories come out of the royal. I hope heads roll and steps are taken to ensure it never happens again
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« Last Edit: Mar 30th, 2017 at 5:21pm by John Smith »  

Our esteemed leader:
I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus.
 
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mothra
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Re: Don Dale - 'ignored at highest level'
Reply #2 - Mar 30th, 2017 at 4:22pm
 
I thought it was particularly interesting that thee guard who took the time to build a rapport with the kids , in other words, treat them like human beings, was never spat on or attacked.

Who'd have thought it? Treat people with respect and most likely you will get compliance and respect in return.
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If you can't be a good example, you have to be a horrible warning.
 
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cods
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Re: Don Dale - 'ignored at highest level'
Reply #3 - Mar 30th, 2017 at 5:20pm
 
This included his desire to see "hanging points" (areas where detainees could potentially hang themselves) and asbestos removed, and for staff to be better trained.



incredible...... anyone would think it is 1917.. Angry Angry

However he noted training for Youth Justice Officers had improved since 2015.



WOW I guess we should be excited by that! Roll Eyes
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BigOl64
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Re: Don Dale - 'ignored at highest level'
Reply #4 - Apr 5th, 2017 at 1:18am
 
John Smith wrote on Mar 30th, 2017 at 4:09pm:
there have been some horrid stories come out of the royal. I hope heads roll and steps are taken to ensure it never happens again



If only there were steps that could be taken that would ensure people weren't sent to detention.

I was going to say just let them run riot and hope that they sort themselves out.



Maybe the massive army of lefty s0ft cocks and hand-wringers could fkking get of their fat lazy arses and do what ever they are telling everyone else to do.

Stop being lazy pr1cks and do the job you seem to have some expertise for, or is your only expertise in use you 20/20 hindsight to criticise others.


These violent little sh1t need some control & discipline, something they lack from their parents.

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