'Breach bail, go to jail': Premier promises harsher youth crime laws

Youth offenders who commit serious crimes while on bail will face mandatory jail time, as the Queensland government expands its signature 'adult crime, adult time' policy.

Premier David Crisafulli announced the bolstered bail law proposal to LNP party faithful at its convention in Brisbane.

The 'breach bail, go to jail' policy was light on detail, with the government yet to draft the legislation, but Mr Crisafulli vowed it would be made law by the end of the year.

He said his government was cracking down on "reckless and recidivist youth offenders".

"No-one can say the changes we've announced today can impact an unlucky first-time offender," he said.

"To receive this penalty, a criminal would need to offend, be given bail, and then commit another adult crime, adult time offence.

"That's not bad luck, it's bad behaviour, it's bad for society."

The legislation will create a new offence for offenders who breach bail, apply to 'adult crime, adult time' offences, and implement a minimum mandatory jail sentence.

The LNP rose to power with its tough youth crime policy, which sees children found guilty of serious crimes charged as adults and face tougher penalties.

First legislated in 2024, 'adult crime, adult time' has been expanded several times, and encompasses 45 crimes, including murder, manslaughter, robbery, and rape.

Detention centres 'overflowing'

Katherine Hayes, chief executive of the Youth Advocacy Centre, said corrective service facilities were already under significant strain.

"The detention centres are overflowing with kids at the moment, so there are kids already in adult watch houses for up to two weeks," she said.

"The system's already at capacity, and I can't see that there's any room to accommodate more kids."

Ms Hayes highlighted that Queensland already had the harshest youth bail laws in the country, questioning the expansion.

"There is an offence for breaching bail conditions and there's the use of electronic monitoring devices," she said.

"We're already locking up kids much more than the rest of Australia, more than New South Wales and Victoria combined.

"So, it's a bit of a fallacy that we don't have harsh laws already."

Community consultation to launch this week

The 'breach bail, go to jail' slogan was first championed in the Hinchinbrook by-election last year in North Queensland by LNP candidate Wayde Chiesa.

Mr Crisafulli claimed regional MPs had pushed for the harsher bail laws, through consultation with constituents.

"We will spend the weeks ahead discussing with Queensland, starting tomorrow, about what these sentences should be, and their application to all offenders terrorising our state," he said.

"But my commitment to every one of you and every Queenslander is it will be law by the end of this year."

The harsh youth crime measures have consistently been criticised by advocates, including the United Nations, for overriding the human rights of children.

Shadow youth justice minister Di Farmer labelled the latest policy as a "slogan without substance".

"If a young person commits a crime, they should suffer the consequences," she said.

"But there needs to be a plan for those consequences, and it is becoming clearer every day that there simply is not a plan.

"The LNP cannot fix crime with a slogan, no matter how hard they try."