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<\/p>\nSerious repeat offenders, charged under the Queensland state government’s proposed breach bail, go to jail laws will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 months behind bars.<\/p>\n
Premier David Crisafulli confirmed the legislation, which is set to be introduced in parliament this week, will apply to both youths and adults.<\/p>\n
The proposed laws would create a new offence, which a judge or magistrate can choose to apply to offenders who commit a crime captured under adult crime, adult time (ACAT) laws.<\/p>\n
There are 47 offences under the ACAT legislation, including murder, manslaughter, robbery and rape.<\/p>\n
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The government’s adult crime, adult time legislation was a key election campaign policy for the LNP. (ABC News: Cameron Simmons)<\/p>\n
David Crisafulli said the crackdown would mean Queensland would have the strongest bail laws in the nation.<\/p>\n
“These laws aren’t about the unlucky first-time offender,” the premier said.<\/p>\n
“They are about the repeat offender who has already been before a court, who has been granted bail and who knows their conditions and who makes the choice to go out and commit another serious offence.”<\/p>\n
Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber said the proposed laws were about the “rights of victims”.<\/p>\n
“Bail is a privilege, it is not a right,” Ms Gerber said.<\/p>\n
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Laura Gerber speaking about “breach bail, go to jail” laws in Townsville. (ABC News: James Tugwell)<\/p>\n
“If these repeat offenders are breaching it, they should go to jail under the next phase of adult crime, adult time.”<\/p>\n
Police Minister Dan Purdie said frontline officers had been calling for bail reform for some time and were frustrated by “a revolving door” of youth offenders.<\/p>\n
“[They are] arrested in the morning and released to offend again in the afternoon,” Mr Purdie said.<\/p>\n
“They call it catch and release. That ends with breach bail, go to jail.”<\/p>\n
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The Queensland government’s proposal expands its signature adult time, adult crime policy.\u00a0 (ABC News: Ned Hammond)<\/p>\n
Youth Advocacy Centre CEO Katherine Hayes said the government’s approach was going to create worse outcomes for victims of crime.<\/p>\n
“We’re doubling down on the system that doesn’t work, which is really big detention centres that end up being crime factories,” she said.<\/p>\n
“They jam kids in, they can’t be properly staffed, they don’t have access to proper rehabilitation, they’re not having access to education and they come out and continue to offend is the bottom line.”<\/p>\n
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Katherine Hayes says this approach is going to create worse outcomes for victims of crime. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)<\/p>\n
Overcrowding is a major concern for youth detention centre workers, who this morning returned to their jobs from a 24-hour strike.<\/p>\n
Negotiations with the government over pay, staffing shortages and safety concerns, have broken down.<\/p>\n
The Australian Workers Union yesterday said all youth detention centres across the state were at capacity, and a further 40 children were sitting in watch houses, waiting for a bed.<\/p>\n
Before the bail reform changes, Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) was already forecasting the number of extra prisoners in the system to increase by between 1,500 and 5,200 by June 2035.<\/p>\n