Probe launched over prison guard accused of joking about teen’s death
Key points:
- A security officer at Casuarina Prison is under investigation for allegedly making insensitive jokes about 16-year-old Cleveland Dodd, who died by suicide in the prison’s youth wing.
- Cleveland’s mother, Nadene, and youth detention expert Gerry Georgatos expressed outrage at the officer’s alleged comments.
- This allegation comes on top of a previous damning report revealing serious failures at Unit 18.
Warning: this report contains the name and image of a deceased Indigenous person, with his family’s permission.
A security officer at Casuarina Prison is at the centre of a Department of Justice probe, accused of joking about a 16-year-old youth offender who had taken his own life weeks earlier.
WAtoday has viewed documents showing the complaint, lodged in November 2023, detailing an interaction between staff in the prison’s control room three weeks after Cleveland Dodd’s death, caused by him self-harming in the facility’s notorious youth wing.
In it, a witness alleged that a security officer laughed while making reference to a Melbourne Cup contender called Cleveland being scratched from the race due to ill health.
The officer allegedly continued chuckling before claiming the horse had been ruled out of the race held in the days prior due to a “sore neck”.
The witness stated they were “frustrated and appalled” by the remarks, which were perceived to be a cruel reference to Cleveland’s death.
The officer was allegedly told “not to go there” by a fellow staff member before a verbal dispute ensued over the commentary.
Personal behaviour complaint, Casuarina Prison
… then asked ‘did you hear about the scratching yesterday at the races?’
… then stated it was ‘Clevland’ (sic) and started laughing.
… then said ‘He was scratched due to having a sore neck’ and continued to laugh.
The report was lodged with the Department of Justice’s human resources division the same day.
The above contents of the complaint have been published with the permission of Cleveland’s mother Nadene, but parts have been redacted to protect the identity of the complainant.
“The Department of Justice’s Code of Conduct provides staff with clear guidelines about the standards we expect,” a department spokesperson said.
“Some allegations arising from, but not directly linked to, the death of Cleveland Dodd have been brought to the attention of the Corrective Services Commissioner and these matters are currently being reviewed.”
The employment status of the accused officer is not yet clear.
But a source, who asked their name not be published as they are not authorised to speak to the media, told WAtoday they felt the call to action had gone unaddressed and had been swept under the rug by the department and senior executives.
Youth detention expert and family advocate Gerry Georgatos said he was disgusted by the alleged comments, which, if found to have been made, he believed only reinforced what he called a toxic culture inside the facility.
“I’ve been around a long time and thought I’d heard everything under the sun, but the fact that someone would speak like that … to consider that a joke is beyond words,” he said.
“This [allegation] goes to the heart of how he was mistreated by the people who were entrusted to care for him and a culture of a lack of humanity.
“This was a young life lost. What else are they saying or doing?”
Cleveland’s mother Nadene said news of the allegations had left her broken-hearted.
“People who speak like this, where are their hearts?” she said.
“It makes me think what shameful comments guards must have made to my son.”
Cleveland died in hospital on October 19, one week after being found unresponsive in his cell at Unit 18.
The death was the subject of a damning internal probe which uncovered a host of serious systematic failures, with revelations staff were watching movies while he took his own life.
The report identified several issues warranting further investigation, including a lack of formal shift handover, officers failing to report self-harm attempts, faking welfare check logs, night shift staff turning off lights throughout the complex, and sleeping, resting and watching YouTube while on shift.
The state government has vowed to close the unit within the maximum-security adult prison, but is yet to set a date for the opening of a new high security youth detention centre.
A coronial inquest into Cleveland’s death is expected to be held in April.
Crisis support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14. For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).
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