Queensland government announces boot camps for state’s youth crime

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Queensland government has announced the first of its so-called Regional Reset programs - a key part of its election promise to address youth crime in the state.

Transcript

00:00The Christopher Lee Government's Regional Reset Program is an early intervention initiative

00:08designed to help tackle the state's youth crime rates. Now young people aged 12 to 17 who are

00:15deemed at risk of engaging in the youth justice system can be referred to the program by a parent,

00:21a school or a police officer. It'll operate in nine locations across the state and will run

00:29as three intensive three-week stints over a 12-month period. Premier David Krissafulli says

00:35it's going to be a boot camp style digital detox. Three short reset programs over the course of 12

00:41months and we do think that provides a really good opportunity to work with the young person and

00:47give them those short periods of intervention and help them in between to help turn their life around.

00:54This government has been criticised for its approach to youth crime by the Australian

00:58Human Rights Commission and prominent Queensland activist Debbie Kilroy called this program when

01:05it was first announced last year outrageous. She says young people who aren't involved in the legal

01:10system shouldn't have to take part in this program. The opposition says that the Queensland

01:16government needs to ensure that this program isn't a repeat of former LMP Premier Campbell Newman's

01:22a similar boot camp style program which was scrapped in 2015.

Category

Transcript

Recommended