The Queensland government has promised its fast-tracked tough-on-crime policy won't neglect rehabilitation programs alongside cracking down on young offenders. The LNP earmarked 80-million dollars for six crime prevention and youth justice schools across the state. But the programs won't be up and running until 2026.
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00:00Manaia Tytha Asiata was disengaged and on the wrong track when an alternative learning
00:08school cut through.
00:09I loved it.
00:11From the first time I walked in here, I just felt a connection to the staff in here.
00:16The teenager is training to be a barber after graduating from the Men of Business Academy.
00:22I'm really passionate about that career and I want to continue it after school and just
00:26stay on that journey.
00:28The senior secondary school on the Gold Coast caters for young men in need of an alternative
00:33to mainstream education.
00:36It's been selected by the Queensland Government to expand to grade seven and become one of
00:41four crime prevention schools to re-engage high-risk youth.
00:46What we're understanding is that once primary school is over, that seems to be the start
00:50of true disengagement.
00:52Other schools will be set up in Ipswich, Rockhampton and Townsville with all four to cost the state
00:58$40 million.
01:00We want those schools up and running by 2026 and then scaling up by 2028.
01:04Another $40 million will fund two specialist schools for teen offenders on youth justice
01:10orders, which will provide 12 hours of support, five days a week.
01:15This is not simply about keeping young people entertained while they're at school.
01:21This is an integrated program that looks at wellbeing support, case management, an innovative
01:26curriculum.
01:27The Queensland Parliament recently passed hardline youth justice law changes, which
01:32include sentencing young people as adults for some serious crimes.
01:37While the Government concedes this will put more pressure on the state's detention system,
01:43it's confident that it will ease once its preventative and support programs start breaking
01:49the cycle of crime.
01:51This election commitment in relation to early intervention, diversion and rehabilitation
01:57is urgent.
01:58We're doing the work right now to be able to get that money out the door.
02:01The Government says it'll also put out tenders soon for nine short-stay reset camps in regional
02:07Queensland to divert at-risk youth from criminal offending.