Youth crime Gold Coast: Youth Justice Minister defends State Government’s policies
The state’s Youth Justice Minister has defended the Government’s handing of the Coast’s “kindergarten crooks” crime wave, insisting a $500 million intervention was making a difference.
Gold Coast
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THE state’s Youth Justice Minister has defended the State Government’s handing of the Coast’s “kindergarten crooks” crime wave, insisting a $500 million intervention is making a difference.
The Palaszczuk Government has been under pressure over the escalating issue since Parkwood teenager Jack Beasley was stabbed to death in Surfers Paradise two months ago.
Minister Di Farmer said just 10 per cent of offenders committed almost half of youth crime and more than $500 million was being spent to “break the cycle”.
“The community expects young people to be accountable for their actions, and so do we – but they also don’t want to see them reoffend,” she said.
“If we keep doing the same thing we have been doing, year after year, we can’t expect different results.
“And we know that if we keep locking young people up and throw away the key, they’re almost guaranteed to reoffend.”
COAST HAS HAD A GUTFUL OF YOUTH CRIME
● 77 per cent of young people who completed restorative justice conferencing did not reoffend or show a decrease in offending behaviour in the six months afterwards.
● 45 per cent of young people who have a finalised court appearance in Queensland never return to the youth justice system.
She cited the first “transition 2 success” course run on the Coast last year for 11 at-risk youths.
One of the participants had fallen out of the schools system entirely and had been placed on temporary bans and behaviour agreements.
But following the course the person had secured a Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways certificate.
Ms Farmer also cited another young Gold Coaster who had turned their life around.
“A young person appeared in Southport Children’s Court in the second half of 2019 for attempted robbery, robbery with actual violence and stealing offences committed in early 2018 while they were on a probation order,” she said.
“In the year between those offences and appearing in court, that young person worked closely with their Youth Justice case worker.
“By the time they got to court in 2019, that young person had quit the drugs, got a job, found new friends who weren’t involved in crime, and settled into stable accommodation.”
Originally published as Youth crime Gold Coast: Youth Justice Minister defends State Government’s policies