More than 550 issues raised on behalf of children in police lockups this year, Queensland public guardian says

Public guardian Shayna Smith says ‘high numbers of children are being detained in unsuitable watch house conditions all over Queensland’. Photograph: kali9/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Queensland public guardian says its community visitors have reported more than 550 issues on behalf of children detained in police watch houses since the start of this year, amid ongoing concerns about the welfare of young people in overcrowded and “unsuitable” lockups.

First-hand reports from watch houses, revealed by Guardian Australia in January and February, detail how the system is struggling to cope with an influx of children, the result of the state government’s “tough on crime” justice policies.