State KAP Leader and member for Traeger Robbie Katter says figures from a government report on youth offenders shows the need for an alternative to the current system.
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“The KAP has lobbied for our Youth Relocation Sentencing policy to be instituted by the government for a several years,’’ Mr Katter said.
“We have reached the end of the road with current policies that deal with youth crime. The government’s own report recommends a new approach is needed to tackle youth crime.’’
The Federal Government’s Australia-wide ‘Young people returning to sentenced youth justice supervision 2016/17’ report found over eight of 10 young people released from sentenced detention in 2015/16 returned to sentenced supervision in 12 months, with three out of five returning in six months.
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It also found half of those released from a community-based supervision sentence returned to sentenced supervision within a year, with a quarter returning within six months.
Of all young people aged 10-17 who were under sentenced youth justice supervision at some stage from 2000/01-2016/17, two in five returned to supervised sentencing before they turned 18.
Mr Katter said the Queensland rate of return to sentenced supervision within a year of being released from community-based supervision or detention was over 50 per cent.
“The KAP’s Youth Relocation Sentencing Policy offers judges dealing with these kids a badly needed third alternative, at the moment all they can do is lock them up or put them out on bail,’’ he said.
“Our communities have a right to feel safe in their towns and they have run out of patience with these kids.”
Mr Katter said it was time to institute the KAP Youth Relocation Sentencing policy.
“It will immediately take these kids out of the communities, away from the pressures and influences they are under and give them a chance to learn some life skills,” he said.
“Their mates won’t be able to just jump in a car and go and visit them because they offenders will be put to work in a remote location and there will be no point running away because they will be miles away from another town.”
Mr Katter said detention centres were already overcrowded and will get worse with the plans to take 17-year-olds out of adult prisons into detention centres.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
