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Australian Teen Locked in Solitary Confinement for 500 Days
End ‘Cruel, Inhuman’ Isolation of Youth, People with Disabilities
Imagine being locked alone in a tiny cell for over 20 hours a day and for more than 500 days over a 744-day period.
- Kriti Sharma
- HRW
That is how Michael (not his real name), an Aboriginal teenager with an intellectual disability, spent most of his time in pretrial detention in the Townsville youth prison in Queensland, Australia.
Michael grew up in an unstable family environment where he faced neglect and domestic violence, leaving him severely traumatized.
But despite being referred to adolescent mental health services in prison, Michael didn’t receive any support.
The service was…