The Wire

Well we’ve known for a while that life inside Australia’s immigration detention centres is not pleasant, with a Human Rights and Equal Opportunity report last year documenting high levels of depression suffered by detainees. But further light has been shed on the situation this week, with the release of statistics that show almost 900 detainees have harmed themselves in the past three years. This latest revelation is likely to place pressure on the government over its detention policy. Macquarie Uni academic Dr Denise Leith has been working with sometime with the chapter of writer group Sydney Pen, which has campaigns for writers in detention. Through the freedom of information act, Dr Leith was able to get hold of the figures on self-harm rates in detention centers from the Immigration Department. She explains to Erica Vowles what those figures show about life in side Australia’s border protection solution. Through the freedom of information act, Dr Leith was able to get hold of the figures on self-harm rates in detention centers from the Immigration Department. She explains to Erica Vowles [VOLS] what those figures show about life in side Australia’s border protection solution.