General News
12 November, 2022
Cairns detention centre defended
CRIES for a solution to the growing youth crime epi-demic that has plagued the Far North have been heard after Queensland Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk announced a possible youth detention facility for Cairns.
However not everyone is on board with the idea. Organisations like Sisters In-side have come out against the announcement believing indigenous kids would be over-represented in the centre.
Sisters Inside have started a campaign named “End Toxic Prisons – Block the Pipeline” which calls for the end of the incarceration of First Nations girls, boys and other criminalised young people.
Member for Cook Cynthia Lui has defended her parties announcement on the possible new facility, but remains strong in her view that intervention programs are still the best way for-ward.
“We want to stop kids ending up in custody wherever possible,” she said.
“That’s why we invest in intervention programs like on country programs and the co-responder model.
“For the vast majority of kids we deal with, it works – they never have contact with Youth Justice again.”
Ms Lui understands con-sequences are expected for young repeat offenders and that the community has a right to be and feel safe.
“Detention is really a last resort after all other options have been considered,” she said.
“No final decisions have been made about building a youth detention centre in Cairns, but it would allow better connection to family and culture.”
