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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Ben Smee

Queensland government repeatedly ignored warnings two years ago of youth prison overcrowding

A blue sign at the entrance to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre
Labor MPs were told the urgent laws were necessary to avoid a legal challenge that could see children transferred out of watch houses and into overcrowded youth detention centres. Photograph: Glenn Hunt/Getty Images

The Queensland government ignored more than 20 warnings that its youth justice policies would overload the state’s detention centres and police watch houses, more than two years before the “urgent” move to suspend human rights protections for children held on remand.

Last week, the state amended legislation with no warning after being advised that children being detained in police watch house cells – some for up to 40 days – had likely been held unlawfully for years.

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