Anne Hollonds says staff shortage no excuse for disciplinary confinement practice that is ‘never acceptable, for any length of time’
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A shortage of prison guards is no reason to allow solitary confinement of children in detention, according to the national children’s commissioner, who has called on all Australian governments to ban the practice as a mean of discipline or control.
Guardian Australia this week reported on the Queensland case of an Aboriginal teenager with an intellectual disability who likely spent 500 days confined to his room for more than 20 hours a day – a case human rights campaigners have described as the most egregious on record.
Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
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