17-year-olds out of Queensland adult prisons

September 17, 2016
Issue 

THE Queensland government announced on September 7 that it will move all 17-year-olds out of adult prisons within 12 months of new laws being passed.

It plans to pass legislation in the Parliament by the end of this year to facilitate the change.

There were 48 17-year-olds in the state's adult prisons at the time of the announcement.

The move means 17-year-olds will no longer be viewed as adults by the courts. However, 17-year-olds currently before the courts would be placed in adult prisons, if sentenced to jail time, until the laws officially change.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also announced her cabinet had endorsed a youth justice review to look into the practices, operation and oversight of Queensland's youth detention centres.

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