A psychiatrist who carried out assessments on former detainees from Darwin's infamous Don Dale detention centre has warned that juvenile inmates who had suffered long-term trauma have a higher risk of reoffending.

Dr John Kasinathan, who also contributed to the Royal College of Psychiatrists' submission to the Youth Detention Royal Commission, said mistreating and isolating children exacerbated problems.

"It certainly worsens the trajectory of these young people," Dr Kasinathan said.

"The problem with such restrictive practices is they carry the potential to reduce a young persons ability to self-regulate, to be able to get more healthy ways to manage their anger, and it also puts in a real distrust to authority figures."

"That makes it very hard for them to shift gears and to become more pro-social and engage in rehabilitation."

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That view is supported by the mother of Aaron Hyde, who is currently serving an 11-year sentence after he crashed a stolen car while speeding, killing his mate.

Hyde is now one of law firm Maurice Blackburn's claimants in a class action against the Northern Territory Government, saying the treatment of two former juvenile detainees suffered abuse that was tantamount to "torture".

The firm said it believed if it can secure compensation for its two clients that hundreds of current and former juvenile detainees could also be eligible for compensation.

Darwin's now infamous Don Dale centre for young offenders is at the centre of a class action.

Lawyers say when Hyde was a 15-year-old detainee, he was beaten while handcuffed, stripped and placed into isolation without tap water or permanent bedding for up to three weeks.

The allegations prompted his mother Tracey Hyde to question whether his treatment pushed him towards more crime.

"He wasn't being treated as a human being," Ms Hyde said.

"Whether that has contributed to where he is and the escalation of his behaviour and criminal activity, the question will always be, 'What if?'."

Opposition backs compensation through services

NT Opposition Leader Gary Higgins said he believed children who had been mistreated should be compensated, but that could involve rehabilitation services instead of a financial payout.

"Criminals need to be punished," Mr Higgins said.

"But they need to be punished appropriately and be given the chance of rehabilitation.

"If they have been mistreated they do deserve some form of compensation ... [but] the answer may be that these kids aren't given money, they may be given the same sort of services that are given to victims of crime."

Mr Higgins called on the NT Government to spend more time and money on diversionary programs.

"Prevention is always better than cure," Mr Higgins said.

Corrections won't respond to tear gas allegations

One claim by Maurice Blackburn is that another former juvenile detainee, Dylan Jenkings, was tear gassed and beaten with batons and shields in April 2016.

The Department of Corrections refused to provide details to the ABC about the allegations.

However, an industry insider denied tear gas had been used inside the Don Dale detention centre since the now infamous 2014 incident shown on the ABC's Four Corners.

In a statement the NT Government said it was taking the allegations contained in the class action "very seriously," but said it would be "would be inappropriate to comment further" as the matter is before the courts.

Former chief minister Adam Giles told Lateline in July last year that tear gas was no longer used against juvenile detainees.

Mr Higgins, who was a government minister at the time, today denied any incidents involving tear gas being discussed in cabinet.