Children accused of crimes will be released into the community faster

Children accused of crimes will be released faster after being locked up in police watchhouses under laws passed in the Queensland Parliament.

Disturbing revelations have been raised in recent months about children as young as 10 being held in maximum security watchhouses “like animals”, with little access to outdoor air and education.

New laws to move children out of police watchhouses faster have passed in the Queensland Parliament.Credit: Toby Crockford

Children have been kept in the Brisbane watchhouse for as long as six weeks, police data shows.

At one point, 67 children were in the watchhouse, designed for adults, on one night.

Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer said the bill removed barriers that might contribute to children being held on remand and refused bail.

"We know the community expects young people to be accountable for their actions and so do we," she said.

"However, if we persist with a 'lock them up and throw away the key' approach, we know that there is an almost 100 per cent chance that young people will reoffend."

The laws, passed on Thursday night, will require detained young people to be brought before a court within 24 hours of being arrested and ensures there is a presumption in favour of releasing a child on bail, except in some circumstances, such as if there is an unacceptable risk they will commit more crimes, endanger others' safety or interfere with witnesses.

Shadow Attorney-General David Janetzki said several Queensland governments had not planned for long-term youth justice policy.

"It was in 1999 ... the then-minister for families, youth and community care and minister for disability services, the Honourable Anna Bligh, was forced to arrange an emergency stakeholder meeting because there were too many kids in watchhouses," he said.

Mr Janetzki said the current "youth justice crisis" was caused by moving 17-year-olds out of adult prisons and into youth facilities in 2018 without adequate planning.

Former shadow attorney-general Ian Walker had for months questioned whether there was enough room in youth detention centres to cope with an influx of 17-year-olds.

The LNP supported the government's bill but moved amendments, which failed, including a maximum time limit for children to be kept in watchhouses.

On Thursday, there were 12 young people on remand in Queensland watchhouses.

Of those, six were in court or due to be taken to a youth detention centre on Thursday or Friday.

Plans were being made to move the remaining six children "as soon as practicable".

A milestone was reached on July 17, when Ms Farmer announced there were no children being held on remand in Brisbane's watchhouse.

Numbers fluctuate on a daily basis, depending on arrests.

In response to the passing of the bill, Amnesty International Indigenous rights advocate Joel Clark said it had been “a long, hard-fought fight to get these changes through”.

“Today is a win for all the young people and their families who have suffered through a broken system. The government can’t take back that suffering, but they can make it sure it never happens again,” he said.

“The government’s commitment to keeping kids out of prison will only be proven when they raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to at least 14.

“The Attorney-General is currently hiding behind the cover of a national review, but she should listen to the experts and raise the age as soon as possible.”

Mr Clark said he was disappointed the government did not accept the opposition’s amendment to cap watchhouse stays at three days.

- with Lydia Lynch