‘The Queensland government’s decision to spend nearly $1 billion on the construction of a new prison specifically designed to incarcerate children is a national disgrace,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘This decision reflects a deeply misguided and outdated approach to addressing the challenges faced by vulnerable children in our communities,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘This facility, which plans to imprison children at an astronomical cost of $8.77 million per cell, represents a tragic and irresponsible misallocation of public funds. Imagine if we invested this amount in the lives of these children and their families instead? The transformative impact of such an investment could change the trajectory of their lives forever,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The Department of Youth Justice is trying to sell this new prison build as a therapeutic youth detention centre, with trauma informed design,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘Let me tell you, as a person who has spent a significant part of my childhood in a children’s prison, and regularly visits them today, there is nothing therapeutic about a children’s prison, and being taken from your home and community is traumatic in itself – a cage is a cage is a cage,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The National Network argue that rather than building more prisons, we must call for an immediate moratorium on all new prison constructions, starting with prisons designed to incarcerate children,’ said Tabitha Lean. ‘The path to a safer and more just society is not through locking up our young people but through investing in their futures,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘It is time for a shift in priorities. We must stop the assault on our children and redirect these resources toward programs and initiatives that support children’s development, education, and well-being. We must build strong communities, not cages. We must invest in futures, not prisons,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘The incarceration of children is a stain on our nation’s conscience. We urge the government to reconsider this decision and to commit to a future where every child is given the opportunity to thrive in their community,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226
