As the Queensland Government looks to reform the youth justice system, there are concerns in the legal community about the nature of some of the draft laws.

The new laws would allow the courts to force 16 and 17-year-olds to wear GPS trackers as a condition of bail in a trial to be rolled out in north Brisbane, Moreton, Logan, Townsville and the Gold Coast.

The National Criminal Justice Spokesperson for the Australian Lawyers Alliance, Greg Barns SC, said it’s not a smart use of taxpayer funds.

“Our major concern is that you don’t resolve or reduce juvenile crime by putting them in detention, there’s simply no evidence that by putting young people in detention even by refusing young people bail, that you will reduce crime,” he told Scott Emerson.

“In fact all of the evidence tells you that the more exposure youth and children have to criminal detention, increases the risk they will continue to reoffend as adults.”

Click PLAY below to hear more

Image: iStock