The child’s story: Louie has been in and out of juvenile detention most of his young adult life. He tells of how he’d pretend to be on the phone to family just to stay a few minutes longer out of solitary
Shortly after Louie turned 15, he was standing in front of a shop window late at night with his friend Joe, who was holding a stolen hammer.
For weeks they had been sleeping on the streets of Perth. At night they would fall asleep sitting in front of hot air vents to keep warm, using a rolled-up jumper for a pillow, lying against each other, Louie’s head on Joe’s shoulder.
Related: Australia's anguish: the Indigenous kids trapped behind bars
It’s called the ‘back’ or the ‘hole’. It’s like sitting in the back of a police van. I could touch both sides
Continue reading...This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.
