Queensland Labor backflips to make breach of bail an offence for children
by Ben Smee and Eden Gillespie from on (#691AQ)
With youth prisons full, there are fears the new laws will lead to an explosion' of children in adult watch houses
The Queensland government will begin charging children with criminal offences for breaching bail conditions - a move that advocates say will cause a human rights emergency in the state's buckling youth detention system.
Labor had previously repeatedly ruled out reintroducing breach of bail as a criminal offence, arguing it would not be effective. Senior government sources had told Guardian Australia as recently as last week that such a move would not occur.
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