The location of women in immigration detention Women in immigration detention are generally accommodated separately to men, either in separate compounds (PIDC and VIDC) or a separate accommodation precinct (BRP). As noted by the Commonwealth Ombudsman, ‘long term detention of women can only be facilitated in VIDC, MITA [renamed to MIDC] and PIDC. Any women who come into detention in the remaining states or territories must either be held in a hotel APOD or be transferred interstate.’45 Where a hotel APOD is used, women have generally been accommodated with family members, in shared rooms with another female, or in a single room. As of 31 December 2023, the average time people have been detained in an APOD was 29 days.46 For the purposes of this thematic inspection, given the relatively small number of women detained in hotel APODs and the comparatively shorter period of time spent in detention, the Commission did not to visit any of the hotel APODs and focused only on closed immigration detention facilities. Over the 2022 – 2023 period the largest proportion of women were detained at VIDC, followed by (excluding the cumulative use of APODs) BRP and then PIDC (see Figures 3 and 4). Figure 3: Location of women in immigration detention (January-December 2022) Figure 3: Location of women in immigration detention (January — December 2022) NUMBER OF WOMEN 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Villawood IDC Melbourne IDC (BRP) Perth IDC APODs Jan 34 10 8 18 Feb 30 6 6 17 Mar 33 6 10 17 Villawood IDC 14 Apr 30 5 10 17 May 33 5 10 17 Jun 32 10 10 16 Melbourne IDC (BRP) Not just an afterthoughtThe experience of women in immigration detention Jul 32 7 9 23 Perth IDC Aug 26 6 9 23 Sep 28 6 10 22 APODs Oct 29 7 9 22 Nov 25 9 6 20 Dec 25 9 5 16