As soon as they enter detention, all young people receive a thorough health examination conducted by Queensland Health on site, in addition to access to education and vocational programs along with support services and rehabilitation services.
Queensland will use this facility to establish a dedicated remand center after facing criticism for holding children in police watch houses that do not meet appropriate safety requirements for child custody.
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What happens at a youth detention centre?
Youth detention centres provide temporary housing for young people who have been arrested. While waiting their court appearance or being held custody by law enforcement until an official decision can be reached.
Youth detained for criminal behavior are placed in dormitory cells equipped with bunk beds and tables, where they may call their families for up to 120 minutes per week and keep in touch with friends via calls made possible from inside incarceration facilities.
Youth detention centres provide children with life skills training and education as well as group activities like art and music classes to develop positive relationships and foster growth.
Staff at youth detention centres are specially trained to work with children. They will assist your child in becoming independent, and prepare them for life after leaving the center. In addition, they will keep you updated as to what’s happening with their case.
The rules of a youth detention centre
While in detention, children must behave with maturity and respect towards other residents. Staff members should provide instructions promptly; any fighting or disturbance must also be avoided to maintain harmony among residents.
On admission to a detention facility, every juvenile should receive a written summary of their rights and obligations, which should be written in an easily understandable language. Furthermore, this should include details on who to contact regarding complaints; public or private agencies providing legal aid services as well as where these may be found.
Each juvenile should be provided with sleeping accommodation that is safe, secure, and comfortable. Bedding should be clean when given out, changed regularly and constructed from materials which are water-resistant and easy to sanitise.
All juveniles should receive adequate time and space for daily free exercise – this should include physical education, recreational and sports activities as well as arts & crafts training.
Talking to a child in a youth detention centre
If your child is being held in detention, phone calls may only be permitted in an emergency situation. Letters sent directly from you or their lawyer won’t be checked by staff at the center before being delivered; but letters to or from detention staff won’t.
Youth detained in detention facilities may attend groups led by trained facilitators such as ACT practitioners who can assist them with understanding their emotions, developing ways to manage them effectively, and preparing for life outside detention when released.
Some youth in detention have access to personal therapists who can work with them to identify triggers and develop strategies for coping. Furthermore, they can access family therapy sessions and mental health services as well as regular visits from family and friends; all this can make a tremendous difference in an individual’s life and help keep them out of trouble in the future. They might even get a job and begin getting ready for adulthood.
Sending a letter to a child in a youth detention centre
Youth detention facilities allow you to send letters directly to detained youth. In addition, these visits from important figures like family, friends and religious visitors as well as community groups, lawyers, case workers and teachers may help the youth adjust better during their detention period.
Visits allow the youth to express their feelings freely, as well as lodge any complaints about treatment at the center. A judge then decides if it’s necessary for detention to remain.
In 2024, Queensland government passed extensive changes to the Youth Justice Act as part of their “adult crime, adult time” policy. As a result, youth detention centres across Queensland have been overcrowded. Now, however, under Crisafulli Government leadership, Wacol Youth Remand Centre has opened to restore consequences for crime and provide better rehabilitation – helping reduce youth crime rates as well as investing in better education, vocational training and health care systems across Queensland.