Teen fatally self-harms at Banksia Hill, second child to die in juvenile detention after Cleveland Dodd

A child has taken their own life inside Banksia Hill Detention Centre, becoming the second death of a juvenile in detention in WA’s recorded history just 10 months after the first.

St John WA paramedic crews rushed to the Canning Vale facility just after 10pm on Thursday, responding as a “priority one”.

The State Government confirmed about 9.30am on Friday that the 17-year-old died overnight.

The Department of Justice said in a statement that staff were conducting nightly checks about 9.50pm and found the boy unresponsive, so breached his cell and onsite medics came to assist.

When paramedics arrived, the teenager could not revived.

Corrective Services commissioner Brad Royce, who took the role after his predecessor Mike Reynolds was sacked in the wake of Cleveland Dodd’s death, said that he had been notified “within the hour” of the incident and went to the centre.

“On this occasion, we were unable to save the young man,” he told reporters.

St John confirmed that it did not transport the boy to hospital.

Mr Royce said that the child, who identified as Aboriginal, came to the centre affected by alcohol and drugs on Tuesday, and was monitored in the intensive supervision unit before being sent to the Turner unit among the general population shortly after lunch on Thursday.

In the ISU, concerns were “around his health and not around any mental health or self harm issues”. The boy was rated three on the at-risk management system, with level one the highest rating for self-harm risk.

“That afternoon, he was out of the cell most of the time until the evening, and over the course of the evening, we know he was checked 10 times by my staff,” Mr Royce said.

Mr Royce said the boy made a call from his in-cell intercom two hours earlier but it was “an innocuous request”.

“There was no suggestion of harm,” he said.

There were 56 detainees and 17 staff, Mr Royce said.

“That’s an acceptable ratio, plus a nurse,” he said. “Remember, this is night time. During the day, obviously it’s significantly different.”

All staff were wearing radios, Mr Royce said, and he believed at this stage, having watched CCTV and body camera vision, that their actions were appropriate.

“Everyone at the scene, they did their very, very best, but on this occasion, we weren’t able to revive him,” he said.

“I’ve reviewed the footage, and I’m satisfied that their actions around what they were doing and the way they called for support was appropriate.”

Premier Roger Cook described it as “a horrible, horrible event”.

Mr Cook said he had “more confidence than ever before” in how youth justice was being managed in WA but also admitted: “Look, the system’s not good enough.

“We need to continue to improve it.

“Clearly, a failure has taken place because someone has lost their life, and we will now undertake the very important task of understanding the circumstances that preceded his death.”

Mr Cook said the number of children at Banksia Hill had fallen from 108 when he became Premier in May last year, staffing resources had increased and out-of-cell hours had risen, so “things have improved significantly”.

“Now we can’t escape the fact that someone has lost their life in this facility but we can also continue to commit to that reform pathway,” he said.

“I believe we can say that those children are safe, but I cannot say that the system is perfect and no system is.”

It comes just 10 months after the death of 16-year-old Cleveland at Unit 18 within the maximum-security adult male Casuarina Prison - where he was among detainees confined to their cells for up to 24 hours a day - in October.

The Aboriginal teen hung himself from a broken vent and was not seen by youth custodial officers until it was too late, having failed to remove covering the boy placed on his in-cell CCTV camera.

His expedited inquest before Coroner Phil Urquhart is midway through.

Asked if his employment in the top corrections role was tenable, Mr Royce replied: “I think people have a right to question it.”

Mr Cook said it was “not the time now to be talking about departmental organisation”.

The Law Society of WA said it would continue to advocate for improved conditions at Banksia Hill and the immediate closure of Unit 18.

Upper House MP Brad Pettitt, who has repeatedly pressed the State Government in parliament on its handling of youth justice, said the news was devastating, saying the “broken” system had failed another young person in its care and “harming more than helping”.

“Despite Banksia Hill running at well under half capacity we are seeing these vulnerable kids not get the supervision or the care that they need to thrive,” Dr Pettitt told The West Australian.

“The results are predictable and devastating.

“WA’s youth justice should be focused on helping kids get their lives back on track; instead it is failing them terribly and causing irreparable harm.

“Tweaks to WA’s broken youth justice system won’t cut it, it needs a major overhaul and fresh leadership.”

The department said Banksia Hill detainees would be provided counselling and cultural services.

“The Department of Communities will offer the boy’s family support,” it said.

“The WA Police chaplain has been providing care to staff at the facility, who also have access to departmental support.”

Police are preparing a report for the Coroner.

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