The Wacol Youth Remand Centre has officially opened, marking a significant step in addressing Queensland’s strained youth detention system. The new facility aims to reduce the number of young offenders held in watchhouses while providing essential rehabilitation and support services.
Read: Wacol Youth Remand Centre Set for Completion in Mid-2025
The 76-bed facility boasts advanced security management systems and offers access to education, vocational training, rehabilitation programs, healthcare, and other support services. The centre is designed not only to ensure consequences for youth crime but also to foster rehabilitation and prevent reoffending.
Young offenders will be transferred to the facility, many of whom face charges under Queensland’s new “Adult Crime, Adult Time” laws. These laws impose stricter penalties on youth offenders for serious crimes, including:
- Murder: Mandatory life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 20 years (previously 10 years).
- Manslaughter and acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm: Maximum life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 15 years (previously 10 years, or life for particularly heinous cases).
- Unlawful striking causing death: Maximum life imprisonment, with parole eligibility after serving 80 per cent of the sentence or 15 years (previously 10 years, or life for particularly heinous cases).
- Grievous bodily harm: Maximum 14 years imprisonment (doubled from 7 years).
- Wounding and serious assault: Maximum 7 years imprisonment (doubled from 3.5 years).
- Dangerous operation of a vehicle: Maximum 3 years imprisonment or 200 penalty points (previously 1.5 years if sentenced by a judge).
The centre is expected to play a key role in halting the cycle of youth crime by providing access to comprehensive rehabilitation, education, and medical services. Queensland’s Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support, Laura Gerber, reinforced the government’s commitment to balancing strict sentencing with effective rehabilitation.
“Youth who choose to commit the most serious crimes will serve the time under ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time.’ But with effective early intervention and intensive rehabilitation programs, we are giving them the best chance to turn their lives around,” Minister Gerber stated.
Read: Development Application Lodged for Wacol Warehouse Complex
The opening of the Wacol Youth Remand Centre signifies a firm stance on youth crime while ensuring that offenders have access to the necessary programs to reintegrate successfully into society.
Published 31-March-2025
