A child locked in the Cairns police watch house is self-harming by banging his head against the cell walls.
Anonymised notes about more than a dozen children in the far north Queensland watch house last week, seen by Guardian Australia, detail concerns about sickness spreading in the overcrowded cells, injuries and serious security incidents.
Some of the children have been held there for so long – up to 20 days and counting – that support workers have raised alarm about a “massive deterioration” in their physical and mental health, and requested they be taken to hospital.
The situation inside the Cairns police watch house in recent weeks has been described as “horrendous”, including by a senior psychologist who sent a “cry for help” letter detailing allegations of young people not being provided adequate food, medical attention or legal support.
The notes contain no identifying information. They were written by a worker on 19 January and relate to the cohort of 13 young people in the cells on that day.
All had been there for at least six days. Four of the cohort had been in the adult lockup for more than two weeks. It is understood 10 are still there due to a lack of available beds in youth detention centres.
In the notes, the worker details serious concerns about young people who have been in the watch house for an extended period.
“Massive deterioration in the health and mental health for the [young people] with long stays,” the worker’s notes say.
There have been “multiple referrals to [a mental health service], multiple requests for young people to be taken to hospital or see the nurse”.
Two of the young people suffered severe cuts “prior to and during their arrest”, requiring surgery. They were then taken back to the watch house and are receiving “continued medical attention”.
One young person “has a minor head injury due to self-harming behaviours”. Three young people contracted the flu from one another. Another required assessment at the hospital for a medical condition.
The notes also detail an incident that occurred within the watch house that was reported in local media as a prisoner setting fire to a blanket.
“Somehow the boys got access to the female wing and were given a lighter that was smuggled in by a female juvenile. After this the boys then lit a fire in their cell … and it was very concerning.”
The Queensland police service said three boys had been charged for “damaging material” in the watch house and that they could not comment further as the matter was before a court.
Guardian Australia is aware of another case, which has been raised in correspondence sent to senior Queensland officials, from November.
The letter, from the Youth Advocacy Centre, said a 13-year-old boy had spent four days in the Cairns watch house with an ear infection without receiving any medical attention or seeing a nurse.
“He has also said that he wasn’t receiving enough food and was always hungry, and had been exposed to adult prisoners who yelled at the child detainees,” the letter says.
“The cell was dirty and had only been cleaned once in the four days that he had been held in custody.”
Police said in a statement there were no people in custody in Cairns “who are exhibiting any flu-like symptoms or have requested treatment”.
“[The] QPS is committed to ensuring the safety, security and wellbeing of all persons in watch houses across the state,” a police spokesperson said.
“[The] QPS continues to work with Queensland Health, the department of youth justice and other community agencies in providing relevant healthcare and mental health support to young people in custody and prioritising their placement within a youth detention centre.”
