Queensland Removes ‘Imprisonment as a Last Resort’ for Child Criminals

A change of wording in state legislation will see Queensland go against the UN protocol on incarcerating child criminals.

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles updates the media about Cyclone Jasper, in Brisbane, Australia, on Dec. 11, 2023. Dan Peled/Getty Images

The concept of detention as a last resort for minors has been scrapped by Queensland Labor following the introduction of a new community safety plan.

A fundamental perspective of the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty states that “imprisonment should be used as a last resort.”