Suicidal boy isolated in detention 'not seen by psychologist': complaint

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A boy who attempted suicide in NSW custody was placed on an isolation plan without being monitored by a psychologist as required by law, according to a former Juvenile Justice psychologist.

Dr Nisbet said he did not wish to implicitly condone breaches of regulations by the detention centre.  Photo: Supplied

Ian Nisbet complained to his superiors that boys were commonly held in segregation without a psychologist's oversight and said he did not want to work in detention centres that breached regulations.

Dr Nisbet was told if he did not follow orders he would be referred to the disciplinary unit.

The NSW government this week called for a review of lengthy isolations after Fairfax Media revealed teenage boys were being locked alone in their cells for 23 hours a day.

Some boys charged with or convicted of serious offences were given one hour of handcuffed "recreation" per day under "detainee risk management plans", or DRMPs.

These plans, which can impose indefinite segregation, must legally be "carried out in accordance with a plan that is monitored by a psychologist".

But Dr Nisbet, a forensic psychologist for Juvenile Justice NSW for eight years, said youth detention centres had regularly failed to follow the regulation.

Boys were regularly isolated from others without input from a psychologist, former Juvenile Justice worker Ian Nisbet says. Photo: Andrew Meares

In 2013, he wrote to a manager on the mid-North Coast to express "reservations" about working in the Acmena detention centre, which was "bypassing some of the checks and balances required".

"I am not sure how they are managing the boy who attempted suicide last week," Dr Nisbet wrote.

Corrections Minister David Elliott has called for a review into lengthy isolations in Juvenile Justice. Photo: Supplied

"He appears to be on a DRMP, or at least a DRMP including segregation was drawn up last week … It obviously didn't include input from the centre psychologist as he has been on leave for the last two weeks and no one was put in place to cover his duties."

Dr Nisbet wrote that he did not want to implicitly condone breaches of regulations by agreeing to work in the centre.

Two weeks later, another manager told Dr Nisbet his concerns had been acknowledged and he would be referred to the Professional Conduct Unit if he disobeyed another direction.

The problems he raised were evident in a briefing note to the executive director of statewide operations sent two months later.

The note said four centres – Orana, Riverina, Acmena and Juniperina – had been using counsellors in the absence of psychologists to monitor boys.

"There is inconsistency and confusion around meeting legislative requirements," the note said. The concerns had been raised by the chief psychologist of Juvenile Justice, Ruth Marshall.

Juvenile Justice did not answer directly on Friday when asked whether this "inconsistency and confusion" around the law had been resolved since.

"In the event that a psychologist is not available at a juvenile justice centre then centre staff will contact a psychologist in a community office or in another juvenile justice centre," a spokesperson said.

Corrections Minister David Elliott on Thursday asked the independent Inspector of Custodial Services, Fiona Rafter, to examine confinement and segregation in youth detention.

A separate, internal review is set to "specifically look at the use of confinement in Juvenile Justice and identify ways to move away from lengthy periods of time in rooms".

Do you know more? Email patrick.begley@fairfaxmedia.com.au or jmaley@fairfaxmedia.com.au