Indigenous Australian Boy Held in Solitary Confinement for 45 Days. We need your help.
The issue
Dear fellow citizens,
We, the Australian Youth Commission, are calling for urgent action to be taken in response to the recent cases of young people being subjected to inhumane treatment in Queensland's youth justice system.
One such case involves a 13-year-old Indigenous Australian boy, referred to as "Jack," who spent 45 days in solitary confinement for minor offenses while in custody at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre in Townsville, Queensland. This is a clear violation of his human rights and may have broken state laws, according to Queensland's human rights chief. Despite having no serious criminal history and his barrister stating that he was never going to get a period of incarceration, Jack spent 22 consecutive days in isolation. His detention has been described as "extraordinary and cruel." During his confinement, Jack flooded his cell with water from the toilet in desperation, and after being denied drinking water, he was released on probation after 60 days in custody.
In addition to Jack's case, another 13-year-old boy with developmental disabilities spent 78 days confined to a cell for 20 hours per day, raising serious concerns over the treatment of minors in Queensland's youth justice system.
These cases are unacceptable, and we demand immediate action from the Queensland government to reform its youth justice system. We urge the government to ensure that young people are not subjected to inhumane treatment and solitary confinement for minor offenses, and to provide access to fresh air and exercise for a minimum of two hours a day as mandated by Queensland's Human Rights Act.
We also call on the government to reconsider new laws that would criminalize bail breaches by minors, as experts warn that it will cause the youth prison population to increase dramatically. This would only serve to perpetuate the systemic injustices faced by young people in the justice system.
We stand in solidarity with Jack, the 13-year-old boy with developmental disabilities, and all young people who have been subjected to unjust treatment in the youth justice system. We demand immediate action to ensure that the youth justice system in Queensland is fair and just for all young people.
Thank you for your support.
12,634
The issue
Dear fellow citizens,
We, the Australian Youth Commission, are calling for urgent action to be taken in response to the recent cases of young people being subjected to inhumane treatment in Queensland's youth justice system.
One such case involves a 13-year-old Indigenous Australian boy, referred to as "Jack," who spent 45 days in solitary confinement for minor offenses while in custody at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre in Townsville, Queensland. This is a clear violation of his human rights and may have broken state laws, according to Queensland's human rights chief. Despite having no serious criminal history and his barrister stating that he was never going to get a period of incarceration, Jack spent 22 consecutive days in isolation. His detention has been described as "extraordinary and cruel." During his confinement, Jack flooded his cell with water from the toilet in desperation, and after being denied drinking water, he was released on probation after 60 days in custody.
In addition to Jack's case, another 13-year-old boy with developmental disabilities spent 78 days confined to a cell for 20 hours per day, raising serious concerns over the treatment of minors in Queensland's youth justice system.
These cases are unacceptable, and we demand immediate action from the Queensland government to reform its youth justice system. We urge the government to ensure that young people are not subjected to inhumane treatment and solitary confinement for minor offenses, and to provide access to fresh air and exercise for a minimum of two hours a day as mandated by Queensland's Human Rights Act.
We also call on the government to reconsider new laws that would criminalize bail breaches by minors, as experts warn that it will cause the youth prison population to increase dramatically. This would only serve to perpetuate the systemic injustices faced by young people in the justice system.
We stand in solidarity with Jack, the 13-year-old boy with developmental disabilities, and all young people who have been subjected to unjust treatment in the youth justice system. We demand immediate action to ensure that the youth justice system in Queensland is fair and just for all young people.
Thank you for your support.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on 16 March 2023