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Youth Justice
Community safety is paramount, and any amount of crime is unacceptable. We know that there is a cohort of serious, repeat youth offenders who are causing real and significant harm to the community.
Locally, I champion numerous organisations who work on early intervention to break individual cycles of offending while, as a State Minister, I’m working with my cabinet colleagues to get the best possible resources to combat youth crime in the Far North.
If there was a simple answer to this complex issue, it would not be the issue it is.
The State government has invested more than half a billion dollars in Queensland’s Youth Justice System. This includes programs that hold young people to account but also gives them opportunities to change their lives.
Policing, detention
and bail
The Palaszczuk Government has introduced tough new laws for youth repeat offenders, making it harder for high-risk re-offenders to make bail.
Police numbers on the ground have been bolstered across the Far North and will continue.
Operation Uniform Dryandra commenced on 1 January 2022 and in the first 3 months saw 390 offenders arrested on 1,916 charges since the beginning of the year until February 28.
Restorative Justice is an internationally recognised evidence-based response to criminal behaviour. It considers the impact on society, harm caused to the victim, family relationships and community.
Intervention and rehabilitation
The Youth Justice Taskforce is a holistic approach connecting all government and non-government agencies in timely and sustainable intervention strategies for case management of high-risk repeat youth offenders.
Community Partnership Innovation Grants is a $1.4 million initiative to provide one-off grants for local communities to deliver locally designed solutions.
Overnight On Country Healing Camps is an example of community partnership initiative run by Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation and awarded a Community Partnership Innovation Grant.
Transition 2 Success Youth Justice officers work with other agencies, local business and community organisations to help reduce the risk of offending or re-offending by young people.
Prevention
Cairns Youth Co-Responder Team brings together a dedicated team of police and youth justice workers to patrol the streets of Cairns focusing on areas young people gather, with the aim of stopping crime from happening by connecting with children and young people who should otherwise be at home or school.