Banksia Hill detainees kept in cells more as staff diverted to Unit 18 after Cleveland Dodd's death

Children at WA's only youth detention centre are being locked in their cells for up to 21 hours a day due to staffing issues that have emerged after the high-profile death of a 16-year-old boy in custody, a regional court has heard.

WARNING: This story discusses incidents of self-harm and contains the image of an Indigenous person who has died.

Magistrate Michelle Harries said the extended lock-ups happening at Banksia Hill Detention Centre were due to staff being diverted to the state's Unit 18 facility — a controversial youth wing of the adult male maximum-security Casuarina Prison.

Unit 18 is where 16-year-old Cleveland Dodd was found hanging in his cell on October 12, following a litany of failures by staff on duty that night.

Cleveland later died in hospital, becoming WA's first child death in custody since modern records began in 1980

His death sparked admissions from the corrective services minister that the youth justice sector requires "significant cultural change".

During a matter heard inside the Bunbury Children's Court on Monday, Magistrate Harries did not refer to Cleveland by name, but said Banksia Hill staff had been transferred to Casuarina due to a "recent incident".

The Bunbury case involved a 15-year-old boy who was being held in remand in Banksia Hill charged with 13 offences including aggravated burglary and assault occasioning bodily harm.

The court heard the teenager had been held in custody for 33 days, and the boy said detainees were allowed out of their cell for just three hours a day when staffing levels were low.

Magistrate Harries said she was aware lockdowns had recently increased, due to a staffing shortfall triggered by the diversion to Casuarina Prison.

She said it was well known and a matter of public record that Banksia Hill had struggled to attract and retain staff, but this had improved in recent months before the diversion.

In July the WA Supreme Court found three young detainees were subjected to "solitary confinement on a frequent basis" and were unlawfully locked in their cells at Banksia Hill and Unit 18.

The court granted orders, effectively preventing staff from denying the inmates exercise and confining them without appropriate authorisation.

Banksia Hill in a 'good place': Premier

WA Premier Roger Cook disputed claims of children being locked up for extended periods of time, and questioned the comments made by Magistrate Harries, who he said was "outside the unit".

"I'm not sure about the veracity of those particular claims," he told ABC Radio Perth on Tuesday.

"Because we've been able to secure the situation at Banksia Hill, those particular detainees spend between eight and nine hours outside of their rooms every day," he said.

"Banksia Hill is in a good place at the moment and around about 70 detainees are in Banksia receiving all those programs and we're really pleased about that."

Mr Cook said the state government was working hard to improve staff shortages in the corrective services sector.

"That's a challenge right across our correctional services [sector] but Minister Papalia and the deputy commissioner are doing a lot of work around recruitment, training and deployment," he said.

On Monday, Mr Cook said there was currently a higher proportion of guards at Unit 18, where about 10 youth detainees were housed compared to about 70 at Banksia Hill.

The newly-appointed Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce said on Friday that Unit 18 was fully staffed. 

"When you go in there it is confronting and the officers want to go there because they want to make a difference."

The 15-year-old before the Bunbury Children's Court pleaded guilty to all charges and was released on a youth supervision order, and directed to perform 20 hours of community service.

A Department of Justice spokesperson said all Unit 18 officers came from Banksia Hill, and rosters at both sites varied depending on "operational factors".

"The department makes every effort to provide a full program of activities and education for young people in detention," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said detainees had an average of eight to nine hours out of their cells in the past month, but some individuals may have had less time due to disruptive behaviour or their specific needs.

However, the court heard the 15-year-old boy had been involved in five “non-critical” incidents at Banksia Hill, but Magistrate Harries said the teenager had largely behaved well in detention and she disregarded them in her sentencing.