The New South Wales state government is seeking to prohibit the
use of 'spit hoods' on detainees to ensure they cannot be
used in the future due to the risk of trauma, injury or even death
to the wearer.
A spit hood is typically a mesh bag which is placed over the
heads of detainees, covering their face, which can be secured at
the base around the wearer's neck. They aim to stop the
detainee from spitting or biting, to prevent injury or infection to
guards.
However, their use creates a large risk of injury or death to
the wearer, with spit hoods implicated in numerous deaths in
custody.
The risk of using spit hoods has been found to vastly outweigh
any benefits of their use, given they are ineffective in protecting
against transmissible diseases as detailed by a review initiated by
the Australian Federal Police ('AFP').
