Queensland
Aboriginal Teen Spent 530 Consecutive Days in Solitary
A 2023 court investigation revealed that an Aboriginal teenager was held in solitary confinement for an estimated 530 days at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. He was locked in his cell for more than 20 hours per day, due to chronic staffing shortages.
QLD Children Locked In Cells Without Water for Over 70 Days
An official inspection report of Cleveland Youth Detention Centre found that children were confined for more than 70 consecutive days in concrete isolation cells overnight. These cells lacked running water or toilets, breaching basic human rights standards.
Two First Nations Boys with Disabilities Died after Prolonged Isolation
A 2024 QLD Child Death Review found that two First Nations boys with disabilities died after extensive isolation while in youth detention. One boy was confined 78% of his time in detention; the other was isolated over 22 hours a day.
QLD Youth Isolation Driven by Staff Shortages
The same QLD Child Death Review noted that ‘most of the recorded separations’ in youth detention facilities were due to staff shortages rather than any real behavioural reasons.
Over 350 Children Held In Isolation for More Than 20 Straight Days
Between 2021 and 2023, six boys at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre were held in isolation for more than 20 hours per day over spans exceeding 70 consecutive days. In total, over 350 children were subjected to isolation for 20 straight days.
70% of Teens Solitary Placements Linked to Staffing Failures
In the case of the Aboriginal teenager who spent 530 days in solitary confinement, approximately 70% of his separation placements were directly attributed to staff shortages at the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre.