The Queensland government says almost two in three serious youth offenders are committing crimes while on bail, and 38 per cent are committing crimes listed under the Adult Crime, Adult Time legislation.
But the number of serious repeat youth offenders has dropped by 29 per cent, as the government prepares to unveil a tough new stance on bail breaches that would send offenders back to jail.
Premier David Crisafulli said the “most significant reforms to bail” in the state’s history will form part of the next phase of the government’s Adult Crime, Adult Time (ACAT) initiative.
Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support Laura Gerber said under the changes, breaching bail by committing a crime listed under the ACAT legislation would become a new offence.
Mr Crisafulli also flagged the legislation could include adult offenders.
Laura Gerber says there has been a 20 per cent drop in repeat offenders since the introduction of Adult Crime, Adult Time laws. (ABC News)
“We are doing the work as to who that applies for and for what period that minimum mandatory will be there, but it is the next step of adult crime, adult time,” he said.
With youth justice workers set to go on strike tomorrow, unions have raised concerns about the impact of a potential influx of prisoners on the state’s corrective services system.
A report from the state’s audit office recently found the number of inmates being held in Queensland prisons had increased by 54 per cent over the past decade.
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.
The latest ombudsman report found Wacol Prison in Brisbane’s west was operating at 168 per cent capacity. (ABC News: Ned Hammond)
Together Union assistant branch secretary Michael Thomas said the proposed changes would “almost inevitably end up in triple-ups”.
Triple-ups are the practice of housing up to three prisoners in a cell designed for one person.
“Even though there is more capacity coming online, there is simply not enough to deal with another 5,000 to 6,000 prisoners,” he said.
Michael Thomas says an increase in prisoner numbers will “absolutely” result in corrections officers getting injured. (ABC News)
Mr Thomas said that will put correctional officers at risk.
“We know if we go to triple-up we are going to see more assaults on prison officers,” he said.
“This policy will absolutely result in our members being hurt and the government breaching its duty that every employer has to provide a safe workplace.”
Ms Gerber said the government had already brought on “some extra capacity” with a further 1,400 beds to come online “in the next couple of years”.
The minister conceded there would likely be more prisoners coming into the system under the bail reforms.
“I’m not saying we’re not going to have an increase, because you’ve seen the data,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), which represents workers in Queensland’s youth detention centres, questioned where young people would be held.
“All youth detention centres are at capacity and young people are waiting in watchhouses across the state,” AWU secretary Stacey Schinnerl said.
“Every Queenslander deserves to feel safe. That includes our workers in youth detention centres.”
Bail reform ‘next logical step’
Citing new data, Ms Gerber said the number of serious repeat offenders had dropped by 29 per cent since the introduction of the ACAT legislation.
Ms Gerber said 61 per cent of serious repeat youth offenders went on to allegedly commit an offence while on bail, and 38 per cent committed an offence listed under the ACAT legislation.
“It is a sizeable challenge and the data demonstrates the size of the challenge we’re facing,” she said.
Mr Crisafulli said bail reform was the “next logical step”.
“These will be the most significant reforms to bail in Queensland’s history and they will be the strongest bail laws in the country.”
The Queensland government’s ACAT laws have already been expanded twice to include a total of 47 offences.
Vyleen White’s daughter Cindy Micallef has welcomed the changes. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)
The changes have been welcomed by Cindy Micallef, whose elderly mother Vyleen White was fatally stabbed by a teenager in a car park in Redbank Plains in 2024.
“For me and my family, had there been stronger bail laws, because our offender had been out on bail three times already, my mother would still be alive,” she said.
“There have been so many losses, heartaches and trauma for people that have had a huge miscarriage of justice.”