QAI unequivocally rejects the Making Queensland Safer Bill 2024. This Bill will disproportionately and negatively impact children and young people with disability who are already significantly overrepresented in the criminal justice system.
The changes proposed by this Bill do not comply with international human rights standards or reflect evidence-based practice and will cause further harm to children, their families and our communities.
QAI’s submission highlights the following:
- Detention doesn’t reduce crime
- The threat of detention doesn’t reduce crime
- Detaining children is harmful and exacerbates the social determinants of crime.
We provide a case study to illustrate the harmful impacts of detention, particularly for children with disability, before providing some commentary on particular aspects of the Bill and some of the unintended consequences that will occur if it becomes law.