Qld premier defends 'breach bail, go to jail' amid concerns over capacity of facilities

The Queensland government is still working out key details of its so-called 'breach bail, go to jail' changes, including the minimum prison times that will be imposed on youth offenders. The Australian Workers' Union, which represents youth detention staff, has demanded the government explain how it will manage a policy that could lead to a rise in detainees or longer sentences. What's next? Premier David Crisafulli has promised the bail reforms will be in place by the end of the year. The Queensland premier has dismissed concerns about the capacity of youth detention centres to house juvenile offenders who are jailed for breaching their bail. The government is still working out key details of its so-called 'breach bail, go to jail' changes, including the minimum prison times that will be imposed on youth offenders. Groups such as the Youth Advocacy Centre and the Australian Workers' Union (AWU) have raised fears youth detention centres are already under pressure. Premier David Crisafulli hit back on Monday, insisting the government had bolstered the capacity of centres, with more detention beds on the way. "We heard the arguments last time when we were mounting the changes to adult crime, adult time. We heard these same arguments," Mr Crisafulli said. "But the police data shows that what was predicted didn't occur. "The predictions of victims numbers either continuing to go north or jail cells being overflown didn't come to fruition." According to the latest data, there were 28 children in police watch houses as of 6am today, including eight who had been there for more than a week. One of those children had been in the watch house for 11 days. The AWU, which represents youth detention staff, has demanded the government explain how it will manage a policy that could lead to a rise in detainees or longer sentences. AWU Queensland secretary Stacey Schinnerl said detention centres were already operating under "significant pressure". "Important questions remain unanswered. Where will these additional young people be accommodated? What staffing levels will be required," she said. "What measures are being put in place to manage the increased risks that inevitably come with potential overcrowding and higher detainee populations?" On Sunday, the Youth Advocacy Centre's Katherine Hayes also claimed detention centres were already "overflowing" with children. Mr Crisafulli has promised the bail reforms will be in place by the end of the year. "What I didn't do is seek advice from the same people who made the same rubbish excuses for the last 10 years of the last government that created the youth crime crisis," he said. "Everyone gets a chance to have a say about what these reforms look like, but the reforms are going to occur." Opposition critical of 'new rhyme' Asked what the minimum mandatory jail time will be for juveniles who breach their bail, the premier said it would be "up to Queenslanders". "The length of that time, that will be driven by Queenslanders who will be able to come to our MPs and have a say," he said. Opposition Leader Steven Miles has argued the bail reforms are an admission from the government its earlier adult crime, adult time changes have not worked. "So, they needed to find a new rhyme to fix crime," Mr Miles said. "The real question is, why has David Crisafulli's signature laws failed so badly that they now have to come up with a new rhyming slogan?" The government claims victim numbers fell 7.2 per cent in the first year adult crime, adult time laws were in effect. Griffith University criminologist Nadine Connell was "really disappointed" with the proposed tougher laws, warning tougher punishments were not the solution to youth crime. "There has never been an [instance] where we have punished our way out of a problem from a criminal justice perspective," she said "We know that harsher punishments, particularly for young people, are just kicking the can down the road for later negative outcomes for both the young people themselves and our communities."