@Steeleredux
Most violence in prisons is directed by inmates at other inmates. In addition, they are forced to live in an environment where violence can start at any time, leading to a type of stress, called hyper vigilance. You dislike solitary confinement. What alternative solution do you offer when inmates are a threat to other inmates?
@Paul
You seem very understanding that inmates' violence is the result of their life's circumstances. I think you should extend the same courtesy to the warders. As Shadow Minister alluded to, we need to design a system where prison workers are looked after too, so they do not resort to violence. Careful editing means that we have no idea why the warders lost their temper.

Foxy

I wish you all the best and hope your are going to be well.
We have often been on different sdes of the argument but I have
always respected your capacity to see the good in human nature.
Your kindness always shines through.
All the best

Back to the debate
physciatrists say that physcopaths and sociopaths are almost impossible
to rehabilitate. They have tried all sort of programmes, hoping to change their
violent behaviour. It simply does not work, as the extreme mental and emotional
damage has been done in their early childhood.

They simply do not respond to efforts to make them feel emotional empathy for
their victims,
You throw in foetal alcohol syndrome and you really have a messed up individual.
I do think maybe a medical facility that can deal with mental issues may be
a better choice than prison.
The government hasnt the money to fund enough places for the elderly so I dont think they'll be funding places for these kids.

Bear in mind that it can be very frigtening for the innocent victims of these lads.
The same type of youth are always roaming around the neighbourhood looking for
houses to break into and they like to call filthy names at women accompanied by their
husband or boyfriends out for the evening, hoping to goad an attack, and then a gang of them will belt the hapless bloke if he tries to defend his girlfriend or wife.
A couple of those attacks have left innocent men braindamaged and dead, in the town where I live.
Our council and community members held a meeting here a few weeks ago,
because the residents are so fed up with the number of housebreakings and cars being stolen here every month.
The police say they catch them, and then they are tried as juveniles, although a lot of these lads are quite big 16and 17year olds.

Next thing the police catch the same offenders a few weeks later, because they have been let back on the street. They are so brazen.

benk, the RC will hopefully answer many of the as yet unanswered questions. When politicians talk tough on an issue like juvenile justice the focus is always directed at punitive action, and not prevention. Money and expertise then becomes an issue, in this case you can see the NT govt over many years did not put the necessary resources into what was a growing problem. The govt was happy to rely on old inadequate facilities like Don Dale, poorly trained and under resourced staff, poor management, and a general lack of political direction as to what outcomes are expected. The tough talk by the leadership is interpreted by those at the coal face that it is okay, or even expected that tough action will be taken with offenders. People like Adam Giles and John Elferink did not directly abuse children, but they certainly fostered policies and conditions that allowed abuse to flourish.

Hi Paul,

No, I was suggesting that what this Royal Commission would be looking into would be a very late stage in a very long process of abuse, neglect, FSA, ADSD, etc., and, even though I certainly wish it well, it could be, as G. B. Shaw commented, like putting a dirty bandage on a festering sore.

I admit that that may be difficult for you to understand, that actions have causes, and that those prior actions have causes, etc., going back ultimately to the springs from which all problems ultimately flow, namely family culture and the abdication of parental responsibility.

Is this blaming the victim ? Yes, 'victims' who abuse and neglect their own children, yes, who have themselves been abused and neglected by their own useless parents, yes. So where should there be intervention ? I'm suggesting: at every step.

I'm suggesting that any effective program will be extraordinarily complex, having to intervene at steps A, B, C, D, E, F, G, ...... down to X, Y and Z - not just try to pick up the pieces at Z, while the 'creative' process goes on.

You can shut your eyes to that complexity from the comfort of your arm-chair, and prattle about 'colonialism', but it will still be there tomorrow.

Joe

Joe, I am not shutting my eyes to the 'cause and effect' argument, nor do I believe this RC will be the long awaited panacea that is needed to fix the juvenile justice system, not only in the NT, but in all states and territories of Australia. Successive NT governments in a populist reaction to public outrage over a growing problem of juvenile delinquency chose the softer option of deterrent by punishment, and it failed.
I agree with your above post, complex problems require complex solutions. Some wont agree, and they are on this forum, but that is the reality.

Paul,

So are you suggesting that Sir Humphrey has it right ?

I'm relieved that you admit that this is a very complex issue, after you wrote

" .... what would you propose doing about what is after all a terrible situation. The Royal Commission is to be headed by former NT Chief Justice Brian Martin, with terms of reference extending back to 2006.

"Failings in the child protection and youth detention systems of the Government of the Northern Territory;

"The effectiveness of any oversight mechanisms and safeguards to ensure the treatment of detainees was appropriate;

"Cultural and management issues that may exist within the Northern Territory youth detention system;

"Whether the treatment of detainees breached laws or the detainees’ human rights; and

"whether more should have been done by the Government of the Northern Territory to take appropriate measures to prevent the reoccurrence of inappropriate treatment."

My answer was to get beyond your incredibly narrow vision, to look for root causes and for Christ's sake, do something about them simultaneously. I'm glad that you now agree.

Joe