Questions in parliament have revealed that not one government minister, including the Corrective Services Minister Bill Johnston, has set foot inside Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre since February.
By the corrections minister's own admission, the state government has been dealing with significant issues at the facility since last Christmas.
In July, disruption and damage at the facility became so severe that 17 detainees were relocated to a separated section of the Casuarina maximum security men's prison, known as Unit 18.
In the time since, there has been a string of violence and self-harm incidents amongst detainees, and a Four Corners report raised serious concerns about the use of force in juvenile detention in WA.
Next Wednesday, Premier Mark McGowan plans to host a juvenile justice summit to hear ideas from key stakeholders.
Greens MP Dr Brad Pettitt, who recently toured Banksia Hill and Unit 18 has challenged the premier and every cabinet minister to visit the facilities as soon as possible to inform their decision-making.
"As someone who has actually been to Banksia Hill and Unit 18, the conditions there are bleak, there is no other word for it," he said.
"This is not a place for children, and I am just so pleased now we are finally at a point where we've got a government that acknowledges they need to do something differently, and they are willing to listen.
"The light has been shone on it now."
The one occasion Mr Johnston visited Banksia Hill in 2022 was on February 22, alongside Child Protection Minister Simone McGurk.
Mr Johnston has visited Unit 18 on one occasion since it began accommodating juveniles, on September 8.
He said he did not need to visit the facilities more regularly.
"I don't run the facilities, the facilities are run by the Department of Justice," he said.
"My responsibility is to make sure that the resources are available, and the work has been done."
Mr Johnston also said he had been entirely transparent and had facilitated access to Banksia Hill for independent agencies, including the United Nations and crossbench members of parliament.
'Horror movie' scene
Among those crossbench members was Dr Pettitt, who said trying to get transparent answers from the government about juvenile justice was "like pulling teeth".
He toured Banksia Hill and Unit 18 in August and described what he saw as "gut-wrenching".
"Every cabinet minister should go and visit both of those facilities, and do it now," he said.
"Those cells were some of the bleakest, most horrible places I have seen, they were something you would almost think were out of a horror movie."
Of 95 children currently detained in WA, 85 are in Banksia Hill and 10 remain in Unit 18.
Locked in cells for 20+ hours a day
On Thursday it was revealed in parliament that last month juvenile detainees in Unit 18 spent on average 20.44 hours locked in their cells each day.
In Banksia Hill it was 15.53 hours.
Earlier this week Mark McGowan dismissed calls for a royal commission or parliamentary inquiry into juvenile justice in WA, and said the public did not want another "talk-fest".
But the premier said he would listen to "practical ideas" to come from next Wednesday's summit.
Jim Morrison, a Noongar elder and campaigner for Aboriginal advocacy organisation, Social Reinvestment WA, said the government had been ignoring "practical ideas" and extensively researched proposals put forward by experts for some time now.
"It's not as if we haven't thought about this. The Aboriginal people here in Western Australia are concerned about the level of trauma that our children are going through," he said.
"And it is about making lives better for these people.
"There must be better ways than what is being described as a dreadful place for our children, there needs to be better places.
"From a Noongar elder's point of view, there is some sad happenings at Banksia Hill."
'Poor show' by state government
Mr Morrison suggested the government was letting politics get in the way of finding solutions.
"I think it's been a poor show by the state government, I think it's been a poor show by the premier," he said.
"I think he needs to sit and listen with us, and not just rely on his public perception of people are going to vote him in again."
"Why worry about votes when there is a serious situation here that needs to be addressed."
A spokeswoman for Social Reinvestment WA said they had not been invited to the premier's summit, nor had any other Aboriginal organisation.
In WA more than 74 per cent of juvenile detainees are Aboriginal.
