136 MINORI STRANIERI NON ACCOMPAGNATI DETENUTI IN CONDIZIONI INUMANE - Teen detainees 'bored with life'

Minori stranieri non accompagnati detenuti nel centro di detenzione di Pontville (Australia).

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 Teenagers being held at the Pontville detention centre are "bored with life" because of a lack of stimulating activities, says the state's Commissioner for Children Aileen Ashford.
Ms Ashford, who today addressed reporters about her recent visit to the immigration detention centre, said 136 unaccompanied minors, aged between 13 and 17, were living in the facility without adequate intellectual or physical stimulation. This was having a profound impact on their mental health.She said with the facility able to hold 260 minors, serious work needed to be done to improve conditions.
"My strong view is that they are bored with life within the facility," Ms Ashford said.
"They require both intellectual and physical stimulation.
"Simple solutions like soccer balls, cricket sets and the space to play games would greatly assist.
"They also voiced a strong desire to go to school in the Tasmanian community."
Ms Ashford said the minors were desperate to attend school, but she had been told by the Federal Government the logistics of getting the minors to and from classes each day made it impossible.
Ms Ashford said unlike the Ashley Detention Centre -- the state's prison for young offenders which averages about 20 inmates at any one time -- Pontville had no school or oval.
She said the Pontville detainees were injuring themselves by attempting to play sport on "rubble".
During the Commissioner's visit, last week, she was unable to view the detainees' rooms.

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