Around 100 people have marched through Perth over the decision by WA Corrections to move 20 children from the Banksia Hill juvenile detention centre to the maximum security Casuarina adult prison.
Pamela Blurton was at the protest and said she is “disturbed” after learning that her 15-year-old grandson is being moved from juvenile to adult prison.
“They’ve created a monster and now he’s in the too-hard basket.. This Banksia (juvenile prison) was meant for boys and to rehabilitate, with programs and work…instead they are instilling what it’s going to be like in a couple of years,” she said.
“No one is saying they’re little angels, obviously they got there because they’ve done some horrific things but you don’t put petrol onto fire,” she said.
Megan Krakouer from the National Suicide Prevention and Recovery Project was at the protest and said there were people in attendance whose grandchildren are subject to the transfer and have been self-harming.
“Some of the self-harm that is occurring within Banksia Hill right now is beyond a joke, this is a human rights violation and we are hitting the streets to bring it to attention," she said.
Youth Detention centres around Australia have a high percentage of Indigenous inmates, with a 2020 report finding that out of the 77 children at Banksia Hill at the time, 74 per cent were Aboriginal.
Megan Krakouer stands behind a woman whose grandson is subject to the transfer.
WA Corrective Services maintains that juvenile detainees will be kept separate from the adult prisoners at Casuarina.
Ms Krakouer said despite being in a separate area, they will still be close to adult prisoners.
"What is being proposed is unit 18 (but) 16,17 and 19 are in close proximity," she said.
"While they might be in an area that’s isolated, they’ll still be able to hear things and that is no environment to send kids," she added.
The protesters were out on a wet day in Perth, some wearing chains they said the juvenile detainees would be transferred in.
Ms Krakouer described the decision as a human rights abuse.
"This cannot go ahead where children are being taken over to Casuarina, that is an indictment," she said.
"The justice system in Western Australia has failed".
