The right to privacy when using the toilet and showering, and the standard of bedroom facilities are just some of the issues of concern in the latest Training Centre Visitor’s (TCV) report.
The TCV’s Visiting Program and Reviews of Records Term 4 report reports on the visiting program and associated review of records undertaken in term 4 in 2018, at both the Jonal and Goldsborough campuses of the Adelaide Youth Training Centre (AYTC).
Privacy issues
At the time of writing the report, cameras had been fitted into some bedrooms at the Jonal campus; now all bedrooms within the campus have had cameras installed. Camera footage is viewable on multiple screens in the main office area of the unit which are visible to staff, visiting personnel and other residents. Photographs used in the Ombudsman SA’s report on the use of spit hoods in the AYTC, released last week, show that cameras in rooms directly oversee the toilet and shower area.
The TCV acknowledges the importance of cameras to monitor safety of young people at times of increased risk, but not switching cameras off for toileting or blurring certain areas of the footage undermines a young person’s inherent dignity.
AYTC residents have expressed their concern about the lack of privacy:
“They watch us on the toilet, that’s just yuck.”
“Some staff turn the screen in the office around, some cover it, but I’m always on the screen.”
“We expect to be on camera if we are fresh in, or play up or having silly thoughts, not all the time.”
This remains an issue to be resolved.
Review of bedroom standards
The standard of bedrooms was also a focus in term 4. All bedrooms were reviewed at both campuses, with some lacking the basic features and amenities that would constitute a ‘bedroom’ for other children and young people.
The National Quality of Care Standards and Design Guidelines for Juvenile Justice Facilities in Australia and New Zealand outlines that to “maxim[ise] young people’s chances of rehabilitation and reintegration into society” it recommends that each bedroom should include a bed, desk, chair, clothes storage, shelving and a secure cupboard.
It was noted in the report that some AYTC bedrooms were bleak and contained minimal furniture and very few personal items, and included the removal of light switches and carpets. If a young person was required to eat in their room, they would need to do so on their bed.
Recommendations
As a result of these findings, the TCV has recommended that young people are advised of their rights to privacy and to have the bedroom camera turned off for toileting if they so wish, as well as ensuring the bedrooms meet the minimum standards of what constitutes a bedroom.
Room refurbishment is a costly exercise, and since writing the report, staff at the AYTC are making plans to refurbish some of the rooms in the coming months.
The TCV Unit in the Guardian’s office is currently preparing to conduct the first formal inspection of the AYTC later this year which will address selected standards and monitor matters that have been raised in TCV’s earlier reports. The formal inspection report will be published early next year.
