The State Budget delivered a mix of good and bad news for marginalised young people. So far what we can gather is that there is no increase in funding for youth support services. This is very disappointing as the existing services have been struggling to cope with demand for their services.
This means the Queensland Government is still investing under $20 million to support marginalised young people across the State. There was also no sign of operational funding for YANQ which will keep us struggling and leaving the youth sector without a funded peak body.
Other bad news includes:
. providing $8.1 million to complete the recommissioning of the Borallon Correctional Centre which commenced in 2014-15
. commissioning Borallon Correctional Centre to deliver 492 extra beds for young prisoners in south east Queensland. Additional funding of $145.3 million over four years has been provided for the operations of Borallon Correctional Centre to provide additional prison capacity
. The department will also invest $6.4 million of the $9.3 million project to upgrade the security management system at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.
. Additionally, the department will invest $18.6 million on the renewal, maintenance and minor works of courthouses and youth justice facilities.
. $26.4 million to increase bed capacity at Brisbane Youth Detention Centre
However there were also some good news in the budget, in particular:
. providing $2.4 million ($23.6 million over four years) to reinstate court ordered youth justice conferencing and explore options for an enhanced model of youth justice conferencing, based on contemporary evidence in the restorative justice field
. developing a comprehensive juvenile justice policy that outlines early intervention, rehabilitation, demand management strategies, and future infrastructure requirements
The Government is also repealing amendments made in 2014 to the Youth Justice Act of 1992 so that:
. repeat offenders' identifying information cannot be published, other than in exceptional circumstances (for example, when a juvenile offender is found guilty of a heinous offence) and at the court's discretion
. breach of bail is no longer an offence
. all children's law matters are held in a closed court
. childhood findings of guilt for which no conviction was recorded are inadmissible in relation to adult offences
. the principle of detention as a last resort is reinstated
. 17-year-olds who have six months or more left to serve in detention are not automatically transferred from detention to an adult corrective service facility
. finalising an independent evaluation and implementing related Government decisions for the youth boot camp trial.
And there is $8.7 million to reinstate courts such as the Murri Court and Special Circumstances Court.
There are other budget measures in education, housing, health and other portfolios which also impact on marginalised young people and we will release a more comprehensive analyses of these budget measures in the near future.
This means the Queensland Government is still investing under $20 million to support marginalised young people across the State. There was also no sign of operational funding for YANQ which will keep us struggling and leaving the youth sector without a funded peak body.
Other bad news includes:
. providing $8.1 million to complete the recommissioning of the Borallon Correctional Centre which commenced in 2014-15
. commissioning Borallon Correctional Centre to deliver 492 extra beds for young prisoners in south east Queensland. Additional funding of $145.3 million over four years has been provided for the operations of Borallon Correctional Centre to provide additional prison capacity
. The department will also invest $6.4 million of the $9.3 million project to upgrade the security management system at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.
. Additionally, the department will invest $18.6 million on the renewal, maintenance and minor works of courthouses and youth justice facilities.
. $26.4 million to increase bed capacity at Brisbane Youth Detention Centre
However there were also some good news in the budget, in particular:
. providing $2.4 million ($23.6 million over four years) to reinstate court ordered youth justice conferencing and explore options for an enhanced model of youth justice conferencing, based on contemporary evidence in the restorative justice field
. developing a comprehensive juvenile justice policy that outlines early intervention, rehabilitation, demand management strategies, and future infrastructure requirements
The Government is also repealing amendments made in 2014 to the Youth Justice Act of 1992 so that:
. repeat offenders' identifying information cannot be published, other than in exceptional circumstances (for example, when a juvenile offender is found guilty of a heinous offence) and at the court's discretion
. breach of bail is no longer an offence
. all children's law matters are held in a closed court
. childhood findings of guilt for which no conviction was recorded are inadmissible in relation to adult offences
. the principle of detention as a last resort is reinstated
. 17-year-olds who have six months or more left to serve in detention are not automatically transferred from detention to an adult corrective service facility
. finalising an independent evaluation and implementing related Government decisions for the youth boot camp trial.
And there is $8.7 million to reinstate courts such as the Murri Court and Special Circumstances Court.
There are other budget measures in education, housing, health and other portfolios which also impact on marginalised young people and we will release a more comprehensive analyses of these budget measures in the near future.
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