Bid to boost bail houses

YOUTHS leaving detention centres could be sent to Townsville’s controversial bail houses following a review that recommended the State Government look for ways to ensure the homes are “fully utilised”.

A report from former police commissioner Bob Atkinson found while there were “early successes” with the Government’s Supervised Bail Accommodation, the houses were not being filled.

“The current services cannot alone address the pressure on youth detention centres,” the report said.

Mr Atkinson recommended the Government expand the criteria for when the bail houses can be used to include children who were: leaving detention, on bail and ordered by the court to reside as a condition of bail, subject to police bail, or on supervised orders who have nowhere suitable to live.

Bail houses have been operational in Townsville since the start of the year and viewed by the Government as a means of keeping more young people out of Cleveland Youth Detention Centre while awaiting sentence. There are two facilities in Townsville that can hold a total of 11 youths.

Mr Atkinson’s recommendations come after the Government changed the criteria for children able to access the houses in a bid to improve their usage.

Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women Di Farmer said previously only young people on court- ordered bail could enter these facilities but that has now been broadened to include other vulnerable young people engaged in the youth justice system.

“The accommodation can now house young people subject to a youth justice supervised order or on watch- house bail, and emergency referral,” Ms Farmer said. “The expansion of the referral pathways provides opportunities to a broader cohort of young people to address the underlying causes of their offending.”

Ms Farmer said the Govern- ment would review the report and evaluate the bail houses.

“We were never really expecting to have them 100 per cent occupied straight away, but numbers are trending up slowly,” she said. “Not every kid is suitable so we have to feel like the kids who are there are actually the sort of kids that are going to benefit.”

Strict regulations surrounding accommodation eligibility has meant the facilities often operate at well below capacity.

LNP Shadow AttorneyGeneral David Janetzki said the concept was failing.

“Near empty bail houses are just another sign of Labor’s failed policy,” he said. “In circumstances where the bail houses aren’t working whatsoever, I’m sceptical whether this report’s recommendations ought to be adopted.

“We’ll see what the Government has to say in their final response and will continue to go through it ourselves.”

Last year 81 per cent of children in youth detention centres were on remand, 30 per cent more than the national average.