Queensland ombudsman backs away from calls to close youth prison so ‘unsuitable’ some children self-harm to get transferred
Summary
The Queensland ombudsman has decided not to push for the closure of the Wacol youth remand centre, despite strong concerns about its poor conditions for children. This change follows worries that new strict bail laws may increase youth prison numbers, causing more overcrowding in police watch houses.Key Facts
- The Wacol centre is used to hold young people in poor conditions, including lack of space, privacy, and natural light.
- Some children spend longer than a month at Wacol; some harm themselves to get transferred elsewhere.
- Wacol was originally a police watch house, then converted to hold youth detainees.
- The centre often holds Indigenous children from north Queensland due to overcrowding in other detention centres.
- New Queensland bail laws may cause youth prison numbers to rise sharply.
- The ombudsman says Wacol is unsuitable but better than police watch houses for holding children.
- Queensland is building a new youth detention centre at Woodford.
- Advocacy groups criticize the decision to keep Wacol open, saying it accepts poor treatment of children.
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