Submission to the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee Inquiry into the Making Queensland Safer Bill 2024

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children (SNAICC) provides this submission to the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee’s Inquiry into the Making Queensland Safer Bill 2024 (the Inquiry).

The Bill, in its current form, will not improve community safety, and will cause significant harm to Queensland children and young people, and will most significantly impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Given the gravity of these impacts, we hold serious concerns regarding the limited time allocated to scrutinise the Making Queensland Safer Bill 2024 (the Bill).

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity Deb Frecklington MP concedes in the Statement of Compatibility accompanying the Bill that part of the Bill is not

compatible with the human rights protected by the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld). Most notably:

The amendments are expected to have greater impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, who are already disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. The amendments could result in more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being imprisoned for periods of time

Queensland will not make its communities safer by criminalising, policing and locking up children. Arresting and imprisoning children does not result in safer communities.1 Evidence indicates that the younger you lock a child up, the more likely they are to reoffend.2 Punitive approaches to

community safety do not work. The solutions to improve community safety can be found in early intervention, diversion and rehabilitation programs. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, these services and supports are best provided through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations (ACCOs).

SNAICC urges the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee to recommend that the Bill not be passed and for sufficient time be provided to consider and conduct robust enquiries regarding the impacts and efficacy of the Bill.

Recommendations

SNAICC recommends the following:

1. That the Making Queensland Safer Bill 2024 not be passed in its current
2. The time allocated for the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee’s Inquiry be extended to sufficiently scrutinise the Bill and hear from Queensland communities.
3. The Bill be amended to embed policy reform and principles that address the drivers of youth offending and preserve community safety including:
   1. Alignment with and commitment to international human rights
   2. Preserving the principle of detention as a last
   3. Reprioritising culturally safe and responsive early intervention, preventative and diversionary options.
   4. Maintaining the current access provisions under the Childrens Court Act 1992.
   5. Including a child-focused, culturally responsive complaint mechanism for rights breaches in child justice systems.
   6. Alignment with and commitment to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, giving effect to the Priority Reforms.