New youth bail laws dismissed as ‘political theatre’
He’s too young to have an Instagram account, but he’s old enough to be kept in jail.
The Queensland government’s integration of bail laws into its signature “Adult Crime, Adult Term” law has been dismissed by experts as both sloganeering and unnecessary.
But increasingly harsh punishments and treatment of children and young people found guilty of serious crimes became the cornerstone of the Crisafulli government’s crackdown on crime.
The prime minister, who was elected in 2024 after campaigning on the legislation, has increased the number of criminal offenses against adults since taking office.
Mr Crisafulli used his keynote speech at the LNP state convention on Sunday to pledge a new offense for minors who breach bail.
“We need to continue to bear the consequences of actions to ensure that we continue to restore security,” he told delegates.
“If you’re a habitual offender, you’re wielding a machete, you’re stealing cars, you’re breaking into people’s homes… if you breach bail you go to jail.”
The new reform means a 10-year-old Queenslander who commits a serious offense while on bail will be subject to a mandatory prison sentence.
Nadine Connell, professor of criminology at Griffith University, said it was not possible to become a “re-offender” while on bail, meaning the crime had not yet been prosecuted.
“Being accused of a crime doesn’t make you guilty,” he said.
Dr Connell said Queensland already had some of Australia’s strictest bail laws and it was “incredibly rare” for people facing serious charges to be offered bail.
“We’re putting on political theater as if that’s what young people do,” he said.
“We actually live in an incredibly safe country, and one where youth crime continues to decline.”
Labor also attacked the proposal, arguing that the youth justice system did not have the capacity to handle additional cases.
Detention center workers staged a strike in June to protest conditions at youth detention facilities in Brisbane.
Dr Connell said the possibility of additional measures promised by Mr Crisafulli meant these extra beds would be available soon.
“The more time young people spend under criminal justice supervision, the more negative their lives will be,” he said.
“These are children who the federal government thinks should not have an Instagram account, but we will hold them to the same level of accountability as full-fledged adults.
“Young people do stupid things and ‘get old,’ so we want to be very careful about how we manage this aging process so they can be great members of society.”
