QATSICPP has lodged its submission to the Queensland Parliament’s inquiry into the Youth Justice (Circuit Breaker) Amendment Bill 2026, outlining practical recommendations to strengthen the proposed legislation and support safer communities and better outcomes for children and young people.
As Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak, QATSICPP supports efforts to expand sustainable alternatives to detention where they improve community safety and address the underlying causes of offending.
The submission recognises that effective responses to youth offending must be rehabilitative, culturally grounded and focused on helping children safely reconnect with their families, their communities and their culture.
While QATSICPP supports the intent of the Bill to provide courts with additional alternatives to detention, the organisation has identified a number of important safeguards that should be strengthened before the model is implemented.
Drawing on evidence, sector consultation and frontline experience, the submission makes eleven recommendations including:
- Strengthening cultural safeguards and recognising culture as a protective factor.
- Improving suitability assessments before young people enter the program.
- Ensuring children with disability receive appropriate assessment and support.
- Strengthening oversight and reporting requirements.
- Increasing involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations in program design and implementation.
- Establishing clear outcome measures and transition pathways that support long-term rehabilitation.
The submission articulates that alternatives to detention can play an important role in improving community safety when they are therapeutic, culturally safe, connected to family and community and supported by strong reintegration planning.
QATSICPP remains committed to working constructively with government, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and the broader youth justice sector to help shape reforms that support community safety and better outcomes for children.
