New youth justice laws have commenced
New youth justice laws are helping us change the story for young people in the youth justice system.
The new laws form part of the Queensland Government’s $550 million investment in youth justice reforms, including new programs and services to keep young people out of custody and from re-offending.
New initiatives—such as bail support services, diversionary programs, intensive case management, and access to housing—will play an important role to ensure young people who are granted bail as a result of the new laws get the support they need.
Importantly, the new legislation ensures that if a young person needs to be detained for reasons of community safety, judges and police can continue to use their discretion when making decisions about bail.
The new laws represents the first stage of amendments, with the second stage expected to commence later in 2019.