Queensland passes Circuit Breaker Sentencing bill, youth justice camps to roll out this year

Controversial youth justice camps are set to be rolled out in Queensland later this year, diverting up to 60 juvenile offenders from detention.

The Circuit Breaker Sentencing bill, passed by state parliament, is designed to provide an alternative option to prison for the courts and an opportunity for rehabilitation for children at remote facilities.

Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber told parliament the LNP government was delivering on an election commitment.

“We told Queenslanders we would establish two Circuit Breaker programs in remote locations to remove youth offenders from the environments contributing to their offending,” she said.

“To impose structure, discipline and provide intensive court-ordered rehabilitation to intervene before these youth become further entrenched in the youth justice system.”

The laws are a further progression of the government’s hardline youth crime approach, headlined by its adult crime, adult time policy.

That policy sees juveniles guilty of serious crimes, like murder and manslaughter, charged as adults and face harsher penalties.

“Circuit Breaker does not stand in isolation. It is another part of our comprehensive plan to restore safety where you live with stronger laws, more police, early intervention and rehabilitation and more support for victims of crime,” Ms Gerber told the House.

Opposition leader Steven Miles drew parallels with a former program and noted criticism from experts about whether children would be safe at the facilities.

“We are concerned about what this program could mean in terms of safety, and very serious concerns have been raised, both about the lack of oversight and also the removal of the requirement of providers to advise where harm occurs if that incriminated them,” he said.

National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Ann Hunter, said the laws will most impact young First Nations people.

“The human rights of our children across this country are going backwards,” she said.

“It is worse in this state for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children because they are over-represented.”

She highlighted the similarities in the latest legislation and a remote camps program first trialled in 2013.

“There were boot camps in Queensland originally. There was a review of these to say they actually didn’t work. So what is different this time?”

Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter claimed the LNP had copied his party’s homework.

“This didn’t come out of nowhere. We have raised this policy 165 times in Parliament and repeatedly moved amendments to strengthen the system,” he said.

“It has taken nine years, but Parliament has finally accepted the principle that serious repeat offenders need to be removed from the environment driving the offending.”

Government tenders for companies to run the camps are open.

Offenders will be based at the regional facilities for up to six months and will be required to wear an electronic monitoring ankle tag.

The bill has been criticised by experts for putting youth at risk of harm or abuse, and drawn parallels with Campbell Newman-era boot camps, which showed limited evidence in reducing reoffending.

Ms Gerber hit back in parliament, claiming the camps fell under the Reportable Conduct Scheme, which requires abuse and harm to be reported to authorities.

“And then there is an additional obligation to report harm or suspected harm to the chief executive of Youth Justice,” she said.