Anti-youth laws introduced in Qld

By Beavis Marks

BRISBANE — As part of its "law and order" drive, the National/Liberal government has declared plans to amend the Juvenile Justice Act to give the courts more power to sentence young people.

The amendments include: introducing fines of up to $5000 for parents of young people convicted of crimes; increasing both community service and detention sentences; and introducing a new form of detention called "work camps".

The aim of the government's "crackdown on juvenile crime" is to further erode young people's rights by using more fear and intimidation against a sector of the population that has the highest unemployment and poverty rates.

The new attorney-general and justice minister, Denver Beanland, claimed that the work camps "would be rehabilitation centres focusing on education, literacy skills and restoring self-esteem". Despite the rhetoric, community and social groups are outraged at what these "boot camps" will really be.

These detention centres will force young people to do slave labour, remove them from any outside social contact and begin the cycle of youth institutionalisation.

According to Resistance member Bernard Wunsch, "Like any form of detention, these boot camps will only breed young people's alienation and resentment at the system and our society. We need to address the real youth issues such as unemployment, homelessness and poverty in order to tackle the reasons that young people commit crimes."

From GLW issue 224