Debunking The Myths Around Solitary Confinement of Children

Solitary confinement continues in Australian youth detention centres because of the powerful myths that mask its true impact. Far from ensuring safety or discipline, this practice is routinely used in ways that have nothing to do with children’s behaviour and leaves deep psychological scars. The reality is that solitary confinement causes lasting harm, fuels reoffending, and strips young people of the very supports they need to recover and reintegrate safely into the community.

“It’s often used to protect children from harming themselves.”

Solitary confinement does not effectively protect children from harm, self-inflicted or otherwise. There is extensive evidence that solitary confinement practices do the opposite and increase the risks of self-harm, trauma, and long-term, irreversible psychological damage in children who are subjected to it. In 2023, an investigation into the Kurlana Tapa youth detention centre revealed that the use of isolation practices against children was leading those children to self-harm just to get out of their rooms, even if by going to the hospital (Guardian, 2023). Confinement and isolation practices also have further severe ramifications on children’s emotional and social development (Human Rights Law Centre ‘Ending Youth Incarceration’ Report, 2024), causing significant detriment on their ability to function and thrive outside of these criminal institutions.

“Solitary confinement is a necessary punitive measure for deterrence and community safety.”

There is no evidence that solitary confinement and isolation-based practices are necessary or effective in improving the safety of the community and/or deterring youth offenders. Studies have found that these practices are in fact counter-productive; they do not address the underlying issues that lead to offending behaviour and frequently only make them worse (HRLC, 2020). The effect of these punitive practices is very often the further deterioration of mental, emotional and physical health. Exposing children to damaging practices does not assist them in re-integrating into society and only increases the likelihood of recidivism and further criminal behaviour. This is antithetical to rehabilitation, the stated purpose of punishment in the vast majority of states. There is clear evidence that prioritising therapeutic and community based practices are most effective at reducing juvenile offending, particularly by focusing on the social determinants that push children into the justice system, such as violence and abuse, intergenerational trauma, poverty, and homelessness (‘Help Way Earlier Report’, AHRC, 2024).

“It’s only for the ‘really bad kids’, and even then it’s rarely used.”

Although solitary confinement practices are punitive in nature, their use against children frequently has little to do with the children’s behaviour. In Australia, children as young as 10 years old have been held in isolation for up to weeks at a time, which while occasionally for minor rule-breaking, has often been used to accommodate for severe staff shortages. Notably, in 2023, the Queensland Cleveland youth detention centre was found to have locked an Aboriginal teenager with an intellectual disability in solitary confinement for over 500 days out of the 744 days he spent in custody (The Guardian, 2023). The acting deputy director of the centre admitted that around 70% of this time was due to the number of staff falling below requirements, and the rest due to ‘incidents’ at the centre, of which only one was actually related to the teenager’s behaviour.

“They’re not completely isolated for the whole day, so it’s fine.”

The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules) define solitary confinement as 22+ hours a day with minimal human contact, and insist that it be used only as a last resort for as little time as possible. These same rules, alongside other UN instruments, specifically prohibit the use of solitary confinement against children due to the effect of these practices on children’s developmental processes. This is precisely what is happening at increasing rates in Australian juvenile detention centres. The level of isolation experienced by children in these centres means that they are prevented from accessing educational or rehabilitative programs and are unable to engage socially with others. This is extremely damaging and causes irreversible trauma to their mental and emotional wellbeing, regardless of whether they are allowed a couple hours of reprieve.    

It is abundantly clear that solitary confinement and isolation practices cause irreversible damage to the mental, emotional and physical health in juvenile offenders. Too many children are being locked in isolation every week in Australia, some left alone in cells for up to 23 hours a day. The resulting trauma from these measures only increases the chances of recidivism and further contact with the criminal justice system.

The myths surrounding solitary confinement cannot excuse a practice that leaves children with lasting harm. What is needed now is not further justification but action. Governments must abolish solitary confinement in youth detention, and we call on organisations across sectors to unite to advocate for alternatives that uphold children’s rights and wellbeing.