Queensland’s youth crime laws could change as Katter’s Australian Party has been “road testing” rehabilitation camps as a sentencing option.
Party leader Robbie Katter says troubled youths would benefit from rehabilitation rather than incarceration.
These camps, located in the Northern Territory and rural bushlands, would educate young criminals as well as teach them life, trade, business and leadership skills.
“Firstly [the camps] deliver a consequence to the kids, but secondly [they are] giving them a platform to maybe change their ways and rehabilitate,” Katter said as he addressed the media.
“You are not going to bundle them all up, you can break up family groups, [remove] the bad influences and give those kids a chance of making something in life.”
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The push comes months after the Palaszczuk government announced its $500 million plan to build two new youth detention facilities at Woodford and Cairns.
Katter, the son of former party leader Bob, claimed that with a “small fraction” of the cost he could run the trial sites, spending no more “than $5 to $10 million”.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she was happy to look at the Katter party’s ideas.
”We do have some on-country programs at the moment, so we will have a look into that,” she said.
