The latest Report on Government Services has shown the number of youth detention centre injuries as a result of assault has reduced to below the national average.
The report found detention centre injuries as a result of an assault were are at 4.2 per 10,000 custody nights in 2018-19, below the national average of 4.7.
Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women, Di Farmer said the community expected that young people would be held accountable for their actions.
“That is why we are increasing capacity at our youth detention centres, including the construction of a new 32-bed facility at Wacol, and investing in new programs to prevent and reduce crime,” Ms Farmer said.
“We committed $177 million in 2019 to ensure increased bed capacity at Queensland youth detention centres, with a total capacity of 306 detention centre beds to be available by the end of 2020.”
She said detention centres were challenging and complex environments, but funding for more beds, security upgrades and staff recruitment and training all contributed to a safer environment for young people, staff and visitors.
“In 2018, 17-year-olds were transitioned into the youth justice system resulting in an increase in the average nightly population of young people in detention centres and an increase in the average daily rate of supervision for young people in detention and in the community,” Ms Farmer said.
“Despite the introduction of 17-year-olds, community supervision rates remain in line with 2014-15 and 2017-18 figures.”
Ms Farmer said early invention programs to reduce offending and reoffending were working.
“We are already seeing good results,” Ms Farmer said.
“Six out of 10 young people who go through our Transition 2 Success program don’t go on to reoffend, and 77 per cent of young people who go through Restorative Justice either don’t go on to reoffend, or reduce the seriousness of their offending,” she said.
