Dear benk,

Having not read much of otb's post I can't say definitively but I have grave doubts it would in anyway read as mature, however if that is your take then who am I to argue.

You ask;

“Under what conditions can young inmates be placed in solitary confinement?”

Solitary confinement for juveniles in US federal prisons is banned. This is in a country with the highest incarceration rates in the world.

In both Victoria and NSW as far as I know spit masks are not used on juveniles under any circumstances, instead the prison staff were face protection. In WA do employ a spit mask but it is a vastly modified form.

Dear Paul,

I do hope you are wrong about Dylan. The fact that the magistrate found him to be a truthful and reliable witness hopefully is a plus.

There is a lot of very dodgy stuff surrounding this case.

The footage was initially said to have been 'lost' and the initial investigation was closed due to the lack of the tape. It was two years later that the Children's Commissioner managed to obtain a copy and forwarded it to police.

The incident report by the staff also stunk to high heaven. In fact the magistrate said;

“In “the incident report” it clearly states that “on exit he tries to spit again at staff” referring to the time Tasker, Clee and Bryers leave room/cell 4. I find this statement to be untrue. There are a number of untruths and inaccuracies in “the incident report”. I give it no evidentiary weight.”

He was being polite.

Dylan was obviously assaulted, whether use of force of that nature was illegal was not tested by the court only the question of it being excessive.

Hi Steele,

I to sincerely hope that Dylan Voller and the thousands of other kids just like him would through some miracle of life, turn the corner, and despite the terrible start become happy, loving and fulfilled human beings. Unfortunately the deck is stacked against them, half the population don't care, or want these kids punished in the extreme. Those who do care seem, to be powerless to act, I am indeed pessimistic.
How are you on this? Is there a glimmer of hope for these kids.

Paul,

While Dylan Voller is a victim of unwarranted abuse, and I believe that the royal commission is justified, I wouldn't get all misty eyed and fantasize that this poor little lamb would have turned his life around if he had had better treatment.

The reason Dylan was detained frequently was that he committed horrific and violent crimes again and again, and whilst in detention he assaulted and spat on detention authorities, behaviour, that if he was an adult, would have seen him jailed for many years. Now that he is 18 and an adult, he is now in the adult justice system, which is unlikely to be better.

"Dylan would go on to become one of the Northern Territory’s most notorious juvenile delinquents, featured in 2014 media reports of an ice-fuelled gangland-style robbery and attempting to run over cops."

While I believe the prison authorities went too far, I do think that some protocol needs to be developed to deal with violent and abusive juveniles that is not in itself so violent and abusive.

How droll it has been to poke my head back into the forum...yet again to find the practice of "othering" is alive and well. The usual suspects still at it, pushing their respective barrows.

Now wondering how differently the results of the recent Federal Erection would have played out if the ABC clowns had released the footage a week or so before July 2nd...? Even better, if someone totally independent had done so.

"A man can gasp out his life beside you - and you feel none of it. Pity, Sympathy, sure - but you don't feel the pain. Your belly is whole and that's what counts. A half - yard away someone's world is snuffled out in roaring agony - and you feel nothing. That's the misery of the world." (Erich Remarque.)

Dear Paul,

Here is a letter written by Dylan and released by his lawyers.

http://twitter.com/OBrienSolicitor/status/757849864428396548/photo/1

Even with my natural skepticism for the PR game lawyers tend to play there is enough in this to give me some hope.

The social workers keep alluding to a 'deep trauma' in his past that kicked off his offending at the age of 10. This is where the money needs to be spent. All money diverted from programs that would have helped him into building a bigger prison system to 'get tough on crime' is just so arse about it is criminal.

Oh well, at least Poirot will go down as the one who would never answer a direct question, and I recon foxy used to be Lexy, so I recon she will be back.

Besides, taking ones bat and ball achieves nothing. If you really don't like a poster, then ignore them, its that simple. I must say though this dummy spitting is so immature. Perhaps we need an over 50's forum.