Qld youth crime crisis: ‘More kids in overcrowded watchhouses’

The state’s youth crime crackdown threatens a surge in children ion already-crowded detention centres and even adult watchhouses, critics say.

The government has been warned its youth crime crackdown will lead to a surge in children in already-overcrowded detention centres, plus a rise in the “abhorrent” practice of children in adult watchhouses.

The Australian Workers Union Queensland has warned new youth crime legislation introduced this week by the state government would likely mean more youth offenders on remand – and more demand on an already-struggling system.

“The government must not cut corners in a rush to find a quick-fix solution to temporarily increase capacity in youth detention,” Queensland AWU secretary Stacey Schinnerl said.

“It’s no secret that AWU members in youth detention are subject to extreme workplace violence – in 2022, there was an average of over five assaults on staff by youth offenders every single week.

“These assaults are being driven by chronic staffing shortages and a culture from management of dismissing the risk assessments workers are making from the floor.”

But despite pledges to build two new detention centres to cope with a rise in numbers, the government has only given general locations – one in Cairns and one in the southeast – with no timelines in place.

As of Thursday afternoon, there were 47 children in watchhouses across the state, with the Queensland Police Service saying five had been held longer than 10 days.

PeakCare Queensland executive director Lindsay Wegener said a strict policy of only allowing children in watchhouses overnight under the most exceptional circumstances – such as if they were arrested in the early hours – had been allowed to wane.

“That rule came about as a result of a child being assaulted. But the importance of that has been lost,” he said.

“It’s very disappointing … it should be reinstated immediately.

“What’s really abhorrent with this (youth crime) bill is it’s going to increase the number of children being detained, and they’ve done that knowing they don’t have the infrastructure to do it.”

The Children’s Court of Queensland reported more than 7000 children were kept in adult watchhouses last financial year – including some as young as 10, and more than 150 for more than eight days.

A QPS spokesman said: “Watchhouses are for those who have been remanded by the courts or sentenced to periods of imprisonment awaiting placement within Queensland Corrective Services and Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs detention facilities.

“The dedicated staff at QPS watchhouses and State Custody Unit constantly monitor capacity across the entire state network.

“Individual watchhouses facilitate a young person’s right to have access to legal representation, support and education remains a priority.”

Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard said in a statement: “I don’t want to see young people in watchhouses any longer than they have to be.

“However community safety is paramount, and if an alleged offender needs to be detained, they will remain in a watchhouse until they can be transferred to a youth detention centre.”

“I expect the reforms announced by the Palaszczuk government to strengthen community safety will have an impact on the number of young offenders being detained, particularly the 17 per cent of offenders who are committing 50 per cent of the offences.”

She said the government was considering new sites for youth detention centres, increasing capacity at existing facilities and investing heavily in prevention and intervention programs.