Northern Territory Plans Reintroduction of Spit Hoods in Youth Detention

The Northern Territory government plans to reinstate spit hoods in youth detention centres as part of a broader youth justice overhaul following a recent violent incident involving a 15-year-old stabbing. The Country Liberal Party, fulfilling an election promise, argues that spit hoods are necessary to protect frontline staff from youths who spit or bite, with Aboriginal Affairs Minister Steve Edgington emphasizing their use in adult settings and the hope that they will rarely be needed. This move reverses an eight-year ban imposed after a 2016 ABC Four Corners report on the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre, which led to a royal commission and reforms grounded in human rights concerns. Critics, including Amnesty International Australia, condemn the reintroduction as a dangerous, torturous, and dehumanizing practice that exacerbates trauma and violates children's rights, especially given the overburdened detention facilities and high rates of self-harm among detained youth. Amnesty calls for investment in diversionary and evidence-based programs rather than punitive measures, emphasizing that incarceration often disproportionately affects Aboriginal children. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between public safety measures and human rights obligations in youth justice policy in the Northern Territory.