Two women locked in cell with up to 20 people in ‘disgusting' NT watch house
Police watch houses across the Northern Territory have been repurposed as long-term prison cells as record imprisonment numbers push the system to breaking point.
The women's affidavits, submitted to the Alice Springs local court last month, describe their cells as 'hot, stressful and smelly' with no fresh air and inadequate space for each person to have a mattress. They said they showered every second day, sometimes walking past the men's cells to do so.
'The cell really stinks and is disgusting. You can not get away from the smell,' said Deanna, 30.
'I have not been given bottled water and have to drink the water from above the toilet. The water is warm or hot … There are arguments every day between the women.'
The 'inhumane' conditions inside the watch house are a violation of human rights, alleged Dr John Paterson, the convener of Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (Apo nt), an alliance of bodies representing Aboriginal people.
'No one deserves to be deprived of basic healthcare or denied access to clean drinking water,' he said.
'It is unacceptable, discriminatory and harmful, and has no place in the Territory or in Australia.
'Regardless of your political views on justice, we must all draw the line at allowing this degradation of humanity, of health and of culture, to exist within our community.'
Simone, 35, said she had been held in the watch house for more than eight weeks, except for six days spent in hospital because she had back pain and 'doctors were worried about my kidneys'.
After returning to the watch house, she said her lawyer later found some medication with her property that she had not been receiving. She said doctors also told her to use her puffer.
'When using my puffer I am meant to rinse my mouth after every use,' she said.
'I am sometimes not able to do this, as the only source of water provided is a bubbler on top of the toilet and these are shared by up to 20 people between the three cell areas shared by all the women.
'This is disgusting and the sink is often filled with sick and other peoples [sic] saliva. The toilets are blocked and stink.'
Apo nt has called for an urgent meeting with the NT government.
The NT Corrections minister, Gerard Maley, has been contacted for comment.
Last month there were 2,613 people locked up in the NT – more than 1% of the territory's population of 255,100, according to the Department of Corrections.
The NT Chief Minister, Lia Finocchiaro, has previously said the figures showed her government's tough on crime approach was working, but has conceded the rising prisoner numbers were pushing the correctional system to 'breaking point'.
Work is under way to add up to 1,000 beds to the NT prison system by 2028.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
05-08-2025
- The Guardian
The Descendants: the search for Tom Wills
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. And support and counselling specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is available at 1 3 YARN, that's 13 92 76.
Daily Mail
28-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Prisoner dies at correctional centre, sparking protests from fellow inmates who allege the man suffered for days before his death
An inmate at a Sydney correctional centre has died, prompting protests from other prisoners who say he was denied proper medical care in the days before his death. A 41-year-old Aboriginal male inmate at Parklea Correctional Centre, in Sydney' north-west, died on Friday night after being taken to hospital for treatment. A group of inmates conducted protests inside the correctional centre in response to the man's death at 9am the following day. The protesters reportedly barricaded a wing of the prison while outbound calls and visits to Parklea were temporarily suspended. Family members of a man inside the pod told the Saturday Telegraph the inmates protested because they believed the deceased was given a lack of medical attention in the week leading up to his death. The fellow inmate was reportedly friends with the deceased. One family member told the Telegraph that the 41-year-old's cellmates alleged the prison had not done enough to care for him. 'They are serving these sentences and doing their time but it should be done humanely… he had been begging for help,' the family member said. The Saturday Telegraph understands the deceased inmate was seen by medical professionals on a daily basis in the lead-up to his death. Police said a report would be prepared for the coroner but initial inquiries indicated the death of the inmate was 'not suspicious'. 'About 11.20am yesterday (Friday June 27), emergency services were called to a correctional centre in Parklea following reports of an inmate requiring medical assistance,' a NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'A 41-year-old man was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Blacktown Hospital, and then transferred to Westmead Hospital for further treatment.' Parklea, a medium and maximum security facility, is privately owned by Management and Training Corp (MTC) but is expected to return to public ownership next year. An MTC spokesperson confirmed the inmate's death sparked 'peaceful protests' in an accommodation unit on Saturday which ended within hours. 'After a period of negotiation, the majority of inmates were voluntarily secured in their cells,' the spokesperson said. 'A small number of inmate representatives then spoke with centre management. 'At about 12.30pm, inmates were released from their cells, and normal routine recommenced. 'There were no injuries to staff or inmates during the incident, and nothing was damaged.' The spokesperson said MTC was working with Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police who investigate all deaths in custody 'regardless of the circumstances'. 'As the matter will be subject to a coronial inquest, it would be inappropriate to comment further,' they said.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Aussie parents falsely claiming to be Aboriginal in an attempt to bypass strict vaccination requirements
Some parents are falsely claiming to be Aboriginal in an attempt to bypass strict vaccination requirements for children attending childcare and preschool. Under federal guidelines, parents must provide an immunisation history showing that their child is either fully vaccinated, on a recognised catch-up schedule for jabs, or has a valid medical exemption. The NSW Health Department has ruled that parents who object to vaccinating their children can no longer enrol their kids in childcare unless they qualify for an exemption. Exemptions are only granted if the child is immunocompromised, holds a health care card, or identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Some anti-vaccination groups advise and encourage others to falsely claim their children are Indigenous in order to circumvent compulsory vaccination. 'People have a right to be part of society and any loophole you can find then use it,' said one mother. 'When loopholes are all you have when you are discriminated against, then what else do you have to give your child a chance?' Mothers in these groups have claimed it is easy to falsely declare Indigenous status, because no cultural or genealogical proof is required. 'Aboriginal definitely gets you through, you won't have any trouble. I know ppl (sic) who have ticked tht (sic) box though aren't and had no trouble,' said another. 'We will claim Aboriginal heritage if push comes to shove,' said one mum who claimed compulsory COVID vaccinations 'woke her up'. But not all those opposed to vaccination mandates were comfortable with misrepresenting their race. 'You're either Aboriginal or you're not,' one mum posted. 'It's a pretty low blow to claim Aboriginality to get into kindy if you don't/haven't recognised it previously. 'If your family is not indigenous and you are only looking to identify for your own personal benefits then that is awful. The exemption for Aboriginal people is there for a reason - not for people to use and abuse when they need an out.' But some said the government had forced them into such a position, labelling the current No Jab No Play laws as a form of coercion or blackmail. 'Any mandatory vaccination is a low blow in my government is in the wrong' said one. The Daily Mail has taken screenshots of mothers discussing claiming their child is Indigenous to get out of strict jab rules The Daily Mail has taken screenshots of mothers discussing claiming their child is Indigenous to get out of strict jab rules Indigenous social researcher Suzanne Ingram said the number of people falsely self-identifying as Aboriginal was now on a scale that had not been seen before, as they sought access to benefits and set-asides in education, employment and other areas. The 2021 Census found that 812,728 people (3.2 per cent of the population) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, an increase of more than 25 per cent since 2016. The Indigenous population increased by the greatest amount in Brisbane, New South Wales central and north coast, and Sydney. 'Self-identification is a significant problem and is spoken about as identity fraud,' she said. 'The current system, if you can call it that, not only allows self-identification, it rewards it with jobs, scholarships, career trajectory, not to mention noble social media credibility.' Ingram said self-identification had become accepted throughout all strata of Australian society and was adopted bureaucratic policy, particularly in the education sector. 'For example, swarms of box-tickers through the university gate are there on an Indigenous entry scheme where the systemic requirement is simply that they provide a stat dec,' she said. 'Any dispute, if and when one arises, is dealt with through legals which turns Aboriginal identity into a legal conundrum.' Ingram said Aboriginal people had systems to recognise who was in their kinship networks. 'This is a problem that has been decades in the is quite a bit that needs to be done to fix it,' Ingram said. 'Hoiking the numbers up creates what I call the Big Top Effect which hides critical health conditions for Aboriginal people in poorer socioeconomic conditions and especially access to supports for health treatments and prevention.' A NSW Health spokesperson confirmed that a child whose parents identified as Aboriginal could be enrolled in daycare regardless of their vaccination status. The department failed to answer questions by this masthead on how many requests had been received over the past five years by a parent seeking a daycare or pre-school vaccination exemption because their child was Indigenous. This publication also sought information on whether anyone had been caught falsely claiming Indigenous heritage and what verification, if any, was required when a parent identified their child as Indigenous. We also asked what impact the misuse of this exemption had on indigenous specific health programs and funding allocations. The department failed to answer any of the questions posed.
