New laws to move children out of police watchhouses faster have passed in the Queensland Parliament.Credit:Toby Crockford
Children have been kept in the Brisbane watchhouse for as long as six weeks,police data shows.
At one point,67 children were in the watchhouse,designed for adults,on one night.
Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer said the bill removed barriers that might contribute to children being held on remand and refused bail.
"We know the community expects young people to be accountable for their actions and so do we,"she said.
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"However,if we persist with a'lock them up and throw away the key'approach,we know that there is an almost 100 per cent chance that young people will reoffend."
The laws,passed on Thursday night,will require detained young people to be brought before a court within 24 hours of being arrested and ensures there is a presumption in favour of releasing a child on bail,except in some circumstances,such as if there is an unacceptable risk they will commit more crimes,endanger others'safety or interfere with witnesses.