‘Cleveland is better than home’: Hard truths of Townsville’s youth crime crisis spoken at committee hearing

A former detention centre worker says Cleveland is safer than home for some kids and a criminal lawyer reveals young offenders know hard time behind bars is looming.

The Cleveland Youth Detention Centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

A prominent Townsville lawyer who represents children in court says he believes there will be a decrease in crime in the coming months.

Solicitor Phil Rennick of Rennick Lawyers told the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee on Wednesday night that the young offenders going through court were aware of the harsher penalties coming their way.

The committee met in Townsville to hear from the community on the Adult Crime, Adult Time legislation.

“I came here tonight to let the victims of crime sitting behind me know that times are changing,” Mr Rennick said.

“I believe in three to four months, we will see a decrease in crime.”

Lawyer Phil Rennick. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Mr Rennick said juvenile offenders were now “definitely” aware of the harsher sentences and talking about them – even going so far as to taunt Premier David Crisafulli on social media.

When asked about Cleveland, Mr Rennick said if he was honest, the detention centre was

better than the homes a lot of the children came from.

When asked about where the children came from, Mr Rennick said: “all over, the missions, Mount Isa.”

Yumba Meta chair and Torres Strait Islander cultural man Genus Passi spent 18 years working in Cleveland, and told the hearing that one boy he looked after in Cleveland for eight years had repeatedly reoffended to get back inside.

“He followed the system up to the adult system. He often reoffended because it was safer for him to be inside than it was to be at home,” Mr Passi said.

“There was one young person from Aurukun who was in the centre, he was three years in the centre, great artist, government agencies and community organisations would come and buy art off him and by the time he’s released he had a bank load of cash.

Genus Passi addressed the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee on May 8.

“As part of his reintegration into the community, I took him shopping, as you can imagine a young person in a big city he bought the Nike hats, the Nike shoes etc. The unfortunate effect was when he went back to Aurukun and walked off the plane, the 8, 9, and 10-year-olds looked at him like a rock star, because he had all this gear.”

The committee also heard from teachers and a lawyer all worried that children were being cut off from education, and upset over a lack of support for kids with learning difficulties like dyslexia.

Genus Passi at the committee’s public hearing on May 7. Mr Passi worked in Cleveland Youth Detention centre for 18 years.

Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr, a member of the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee, said children in the past had barely been punished.

“In the past ten years, we’ve seen kids go from petty crime to very violent invasions, and that’s because a few kids got into a few unlocked homes, found the keys, and took off in stolen cars, and barely got a slap on the wrist,” Ms Marr said.

Townsville's three MP's attended the forum: (L-R) Adam Baillie, Natalie Marr, Janelle Poole.

The committee will table their report to parliament on May 16, advising MPs on how to proceed with the second Making Queensland Safer Amendment Bill (aka ‘adult crime, adult time).

This Amendment Bill, if passed by parliament, will rise the maximum sentences for 20 violent crimes including: torture, rape, arson, deprivation of liberty, and more.

Ms Marr pointed out that the state government had committed to raising the compulsory rehabilitation time from 72 hours, to 12 months.

“The kids can do some of those inside detention, and some of it outside, but 12 months will be the mandatory minimum,” she said.

The Making Queensland Safer Bill also includes $383m in funding to “overhaul” the residential and foster care system.

Originally published as ‘Cleveland is better than home’: Hard truths of Townsville’s youth crime crisis spoken at committee hearing