The New South Wales Inspector of Custodial Services has identified some good practice in overcoming some of these barriers. For example, ‘accommodating families who were travelling long distances to visit by arranging all-day visits’ and through ‘organised activity days’ that occurred 2 to 3 times per year or more regularly in some facilities.133 Where women have been detained away from their usual place of residence or where visits with children are particularly difficult to maintain, for the preservation of the family unity, the UN CEDAW Committee has simply stated that ‘[a]lternatives to detention, including release with or without conditions, should be considered in each individual case and especially when separate facilities for women and/or families are not available’.134 For women who can receive regular visits, the Commission observed additional barriers including the inappropriateness of the visiting facilities for children and the time restrictions in place on visits. Bangkok Rule 28 stipulates that ‘[v]isits involving children shall take place in an environment that is conducive to a positive visiting experience, including with regard to staff attitudes, and shall allow open contact between mother and child. Visits involving extended contact with children should be encouraged, where possible’.135 The Commission observed that the visiting facilities for BRP (which are undertaken in MIDC South), VIDC and PIDC offered very little entertainment for child visitors. At MIDC South, children had access to a small amount of play equipment but there was no outdoor area in which women and their children could go for recreation and fresh air. At VIDC, the outdoor climbing frame had been removed some months earlier due to safety concerns (although ABF staff advised it was going to be replaced) and children only had access to a small box of colouring and reading books. A large family room was available at VIDC though we were advised it was not used for visits. PIDC had the smallest visit room (given its infrastructure limitations) with no access to outdoor areas and some limited activities and books to entertain children. By comparison, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales has generally reported positively on visiting areas for children in immigration facilities in the United Kingdom. Some of the facilities have included, for example: l attractive murals, soft play areas, an arcade-style games machine, playframe designed for children to use safely without supervision,136 l a colourful and welcoming children’s play area that was well stocked with toys and games,137 l a small area with facilities for children of all ages, including board games and PlayStations,138 l a free bus service available between the train station and the centre.139 Some of the women interviewed by the Commission expressed reluctance to ask their children to visit them because of the condition of the visiting facilities and lack of entertainment for children. At PIDC for example, one woman said, ‘the visiting room is gross. My children don’t want to spend 2 hours in there with me’. RECOMMENDATION 9 The Government and Department should make every effort to avoid the interstate separation of women in immigration detention from their family and supports by: a) ensuring appropriate accommodation for women is made available in all states/ territories, and b) ensuring alternatives to closed immigration detention are made available to women where this is not possible. 32 Not just an afterthoughtThe experience of women in immigration detention