The Northern Territory’s anti-discrimination commissioner warns of looming dangers with children with mental illness, prisoners and prison guards being forced to mix in Royal Darwin Hospital's secure mental health facility.
Sally Sievers says the issue of patients mixing together in the Joan Ridley Unit, designed for people with acute psychiatric problems, was a longstanding problem.
"From my point of view, there's no doubt that prisoners are absolutely entitled to mental health care, but when they come, they come with two prison guards as well," Ms Sievers said.
In the last year the number of prisoners housed in the secure ward appears to have increased, triggering fresh safety concerns.