Queensland to build new youth remand centre after criticism

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Queensland's tough youth justice laws have led to some young people being held for long periods in police watch houses. The premier says she's heard the criticisms so now a new youth remand centre will be built.

Transcript

00:00 A vacant lot soon to be the site of a youth remand centre.

00:06 A place to go which is not in long term watch houses.

00:10 The government unveiling plans to rapidly build a 50 bed facility amid long running

00:16 criticism over children being held in adult watch houses.

00:20 No one wants to see young people in watch houses for extended periods of time.

00:24 I don't want to see it, the public doesn't want to see it.

00:27 We can't show you what the facility will look like, design plans are yet to be drawn up,

00:32 but the government insists it'll be fast tracked and finished next year.

00:36 This youth remand centre will go a long way to creating that capacity.

00:42 Demand has never been so high.

00:44 We make no apology for having some of the harshest youth justice laws in the country.

00:52 Latest figures show Queensland has more children in youth detention on an average night than

00:57 any other state.

00:59 And amid youth crime crackdowns, there's been pressure on police watch houses.

01:03 Earlier this year, one young person spent 39 days.

01:07 It doesn't help any community safety when they come out angrier because they've spent

01:11 a long period of time in these traumatic environments.

01:14 Lawyer Catherine Hayes says the government has been warned for years.

01:18 It's entirely foreseeable that we would need more accommodation built or have a greater

01:24 investment in diversion.

01:25 So this is too little too late probably.

01:27 Why wasn't it built in 2019 when those concerns were first raised?

01:33 Well that's a good question.

01:35 Two more youth detention centres are expected to open by 2026.

01:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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