Concerns Raised About Youth Court Cells in South Australia
Concerns have been raised about the cells inside Adelaide’s Youth Court by SA's Guardian for Children and Young People Ms. Shona Reid.
Watchdog Calls for Urgent Improvements to Youth Detention Conditions
A recent watchdog report has raised serious concerns about the use of youth detention cells described as harmful to young people, prompting calls for urgent upgrades and reform.
The concerns focus on environments used for isolation or restrictive confinement, and whether those conditions are appropriate for children and consistent with modern youth justice standards.
South Australian Context — Youth Justice Imprisonment Under Ongoing Scrutiny
In South Australia, young people in custody are primarily held at the Adelaide Youth Training Centre (AYTC) in Cavan.
AYTC has been subject to ongoing independent scrutiny, including:
Guardian for Children and Young People —
https://gcyp.sa.gov.au/publications/annual-reports/Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services —
https://www.ics.sa.gov.au/publications/inspection-reports/adelaide-youth-training-centre
Across multiple reports, these bodies have raised consistent concerns about confinement practices and their impact on young people.
The Inspector of Custodial Services (2023 AYTC Inspection) noted that young people were, at times, spending significant portions of the day confined to their rooms, with limited access to structured activities.
Similarly, the Guardian for Children and Young People (Annual Reports 2022–2024) has repeatedly highlighted that:
Young people in detention require consistent access to education, programs and therapeutic support, and extended periods of lockdown can undermine these objectives.
Who is in a SA Youth Detention facility?
The issue is particularly significant in SA given the profile of young people in detention:
On an average day, dozens of young people are held at AYTC
A large proportion are on remand (not yet sentenced)
Aboriginal young people are significantly overrepresented, often making up more than half of those in custody
This means any harmful conditions disproportionately affect Indigenous children and vulnerable young people.
What the new concerns are about
The new concerns are in relation to the cells inside Adelaide’s Youth Court that are used when when a child is remanded, on trial or being sentenced and is remanded to appear in person (i.e. not appearing by AVL link).
SA's Guardian for Children and Young People Ms. Shona Reid. found these cells do not meet "acceptable minimum standards of safety, dignity and care".
According to Ms Reid, the "substandard" conditions of the Youth Court cells have prompted an increase in the number of young people detained at the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre appearing in court remotely via audio-visual link (AVL). However, this has led to technical difficulties, children not understanding what has happened in court, and wanting to appear in person and not being able to.
The Government is reviewing the recommendations.
Legal and Human Rights Considerations
Conditions in youth detention raise clear legal obligations.
Authorities must ensure that:
Young people are not subjected to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment
Isolation is used only when necessary, proportionate and time-limited
Detention conditions align with both state law and broader human rights principles
Oversight reporting in South Australia has consistently warned that prolonged confinement can:
Increase distress and undermine efforts to support rehabilitation.
A System Under Scrutiny
The latest concerns add to ongoing pressure on governments to:
Improve conditions
Reduce reliance on isolation and lockdown practices
Expand trauma-informed care models
Strengthen alternatives to detention
There is growing recognition that:
The conditions experienced in custody directly influence long-term outcomes for young people.
The concerns about youth detention cells — supported by multiple South Australian oversight reports — are a reminder that the justice system must not only make fair decisions, but also deliver those decisions in a humane and appropriate way.
For young people, the conditions they experience in custody can shape their future. Ensuring those environments are safe, appropriate and focused on rehabilitation is critical.
This OYBlog was created with AI assistance based on the following source:
Watchdog calls for upgrade to harmful youth detention cells