‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ won’t make Queensland safer and will cause lifetime of harm to children and young people

Queensland detains more children each day than any other State and has the worst recidivism rate in Australia (Productivity Commission, 2023).

Therefore, harsher penalties for children and young people won’t reduce crime but will instead fuel cycles of contact with the justice system that will continue into adulthood. 

CREATE Foundation CEO, Imogen Edeson warns that the Government’s, ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ proposal will disproportionately impact young people with a history of trauma who are growing up in the State’s care system.  

“Children and young people with a care experience are disproportionately criminalised because of social disadvantage, experiences of trauma, the impact of racism, poverty, unsafe and unstable housing, unsupported mental health needs and substance issues. 

CREATE urges the Government to break cycles of criminalisation of kids in care by ensuring children are supported and not caged.” 

CREATE Young Consultant, Elysay says the Government should look at the crossover of children in care and the justice system and instead, provide them with support.  

“With the number of kids in care in the [youth justice] system, there is more of a need to focus on supporting those kids.  

They all have these pre-established traumas and they’re constantly moving, have no emotional support so they start to express their emotional needs by lashing out with anger or assault. 

I think the focus should be on healing the child’s trauma. That is why they are acting the way they are acting.” 

Young Consultant, Jordyn believes there should be consequences for young people who commit crimes but imagines a system that gives a young person responsibility and purpose.  

“I don’t think children should be in detention. Give them the opportunity to do training, learn manual labour, connection and teamwork.  

Give them a purpose and help them be less isolated, with more social inclusion. I started woodworking at 14 and the amount of crime I did reduced drastically because I was busy.  

There should be consequences but also rehabilitation.”  

28% of children and young people in youth justice custody in 2022 had an active child protection order (Queensland Government, 2023a; Queensland Government, 2023b). 

CREATE urges the Government to address the root causes of youth crime through investment in early intervention, diversion programs and rehabilitation. 

The proposed laws will not make Queensland safer and will only serve to relocate children from a broken child protection system to a broken youth justice system.