Queensland’s premier has promised the public will have a hand in shaping his latest crackdown on youth crime, as the union representing detention centre workers warned there were still unanswered questions about how it would work.
At the LNP Constitutional and State Convention in Brisbane on Sunday, David Crisafulli announced an extension of youth justice laws that would imprison children who commit “adult time, adult crime” offences while on bail under a mandatory minimum sentence.
On Monday, the premier clarified details of the proposed laws – which he said would be introduced by the end of the year – and pushed back on claims the laws would place too many young people awaiting trial behind bars.
“In order to be caught up by this, you have to be out on bail, and you have to commit an Adult Crime, Adult Time offence,” Crisafulli said.
However, he said the period of mandatory imprisonment that would be imposed had not yet been decided, and would be shaped by community consultation.
“We’ve put in place the guardrails,” he said.
Crisafulli did not give details of how early intervention and rehabilitation programs would be reinforced, or any extra resourcing for detention centres if the laws led to an increase in detained young people.
The Australian Workers’ Union, acting on behalf of detention centre workers, said the new laws raised concerns for workers’ safety.
Queensland secretary Stacey Schinnerl said “important questions remain unanswered”, including how the state would avoid overcrowding and maintain staff-to-detainee ratios.
“Tougher laws alone are not a solution if the government fails to adequately resource the system that is expected to implement them,” Schinnerl said.
She said youth detention centre staff were already facing physical assaults, threats, intimidation and “significant psychological pressures” while on the job.
“You cannot simply shift the crime scene from the street to the detention centre,” she said.
“If the government wants these laws to succeed, it must invest in the workforce, facilities and support systems needed to safely manage the consequences of its policy decisions.”
The “breach bail, go to jail” stance was put forward by LNP candidate Wayde Chiesa during the Hinchinbrook byelection late last year.
In mid-June by Katter’s Australia Party leader Robbie Katter backed the policy. A week ago, following advocacy from government MPs in north Queensland, Janelle Poole and Adam Baillie, the premier said it was being “seriously considered”.
On Monday, the premier said the state had “already listened to Queenslanders”, pointing to community feedback delivered through those MPs.
“Overwhelmingly [the community] said that bail reform was what they saw as the next cab off the rank for Adult Crime, Adult Time,” he said.
“They said that they wanted to see a minimum mandatory component as part of that, so that’s a big part of the consultation.”
Crisafulli said a committee would be set up to review the proposed laws. He would not confirm whether the disbanded expert legal panel had been consulted before it was dissolved.
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