Conditional release orders
If your child pleads guilty to—or is found guilty of—offences when they go to court, your child can be sentenced to detention. The court may decide not to send your child immediately to detention and instead make a conditional release order. This means your child will be released into the community straight away, to take part in a structured program with strict conditions. Usually the court will only make this order if your child has already been on other orders.
A conditional release order will help deal with your child’s offending while they continue to live in the community.
The purpose of a conditional release order is to:
- address your child’s offending behaviour through counselling and programs
- provide consequences for your child’s offending behaviour
- let your child take part in community and family life in a supervised and supported way
- help your child to continue with their study and work commitments.
A youth justice officer will supervise your child for the period of the order. Your child must follow rules, take part in activities, and frequently go to see their youth justice officer. They may also receive home visits.
What it involves
A conditional release order means that your child must take part in a specially designed program that the court has agreed to. This program may take up to 3 months.
Your child will meet with a youth justice officer before they are sentenced. Your child and the youth justice officer will put together a structured conditional release order program. This program has 3 parts:
- activities to stop them from offending
- work, school or training activities
- activities to help them be involved in your family and their community in a positive way.
There are rules your child must follow when they are on a conditional release order.
Your child must:
- not break the law
- take part in all of the activities they agreed to in their program
- go to the programs that their youth justice officer tells them to
- follow every reasonable direction given by their youth justice officer
- get permission from their youth justice officer if they wish to leave Queensland.
You or your child must also tell us if your child’s details—address, school, or work—change (this must happen within 2 business days of the change).
Sometimes the court will add other conditions to your child’s conditional release order. Extra conditions are added when the court thinks that your child needs extra supervision, counselling or help in the community. These conditions are just as important and your child must follow them.
Breaking the rules
If your child does not follow the rules of their order, your child’s youth justice officer will talk to them about this. Your child may also be given a written warning.
If your child does not get back on track after their warning, they may have to go back to court. The court can decide to give them a different order, including sending them to a youth detention centre.
It is a very serious matter if your child breaks the law while they are on a conditional release order. The court may hold them in breach of their order and place your child in a youth detention centre.
If you or your child think they are having problems following the rules of their order you should talk to your child’s youth justice officer.
Further information
- Learn more about young people and the justice system.
- Locate your closest youth justice service centre.
- Read about how you can help and support your child.
- Find out about youth detention centres in Queensland.