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4.
Extracts from the Report
"Social Worker Ann Marie Tran
was quoted as saying that there was a big communication problem. The CSD officers were often straight from school and did their best, but they did not know how to look after these people".
CSD's Comments
The Social Worker was interviewed and she stressed that she had never made the alleged comments or that she had been misinterpreted. She said that staff members of CSD and VRS have different culture and languages, and there were certainly misunderstandings between
supervising staff and refugees on occasions.
Discipline
5. "Same CSD workers
....
being
unnecessarily restrictive. People are locked in solitary confinement in open fronted cages known as "the monkey house" for minor
infringement of camp rules".
VRS in closed centres are subject to Closed Centre Rules. The Superintendent of the Closed Centre is empowered to investigate all offences against discipline and to punish the offender. The punishment awarded depends very much on both the merits of each case and the background of the offender.
6.
"A 16 year-old was confined
for three weeks for sleeping through the daily head count"
The refugee concerned was 17 years old and he deliberately breached centre discipline. The Superintendent, having investigated the case found the offence to be a serious challenge to authority and awarded the punishment. He subsequently gave special sympathetic consideration to the
7.
refugee by allowing him to attend
educational classes daily.
CSD
explained that the Closed Centre
rules applied to everyone irrespective of age, but they are not applied indiscriminately.
"Such imprisonments go on a
refugee's record and can significantly damage his prospects for resettlement".
As the refugee's stay in the Special Unit is only an internal disciplinary punishment, it would in no circumstances be an obstacle to the VR's resettlement prospects as only records of criminal offences are kept.
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