The minister tasked with running Queensland’s “toughest in the nation” youth justice system told the state parliament in 2019 that continuing a punitive approach would create an “almost 100% chance” that children would reoffend.
Guardian Australia found comments by Di Farmer – made during 2019 state parliament estimates hearings – bluntly criticising the sorts of measures that have since been championed by the Labor government, resulting in record numbers of children in prison and soaring reoffending rates.
