Remand centre built for adults to remain open to children over capacity concerns

Queensland's detention services inspector, Anthony Reilly, has released a report on the Wacol Youth Remand Centre, which has been housing children since April last year. Despite being originally designed for adults, Reilly found that continuing to hold children at the centre would be beneficial due to potential impacts of the state's proposed breach bail and jail laws.

While the centre is not considered a suitable facility for children, it is deemed more suitable than holding them in police watch houses. Reilly noted that the proposed laws may lead to insufficient capacity in youth detention centers, potentially necessitating the detention of children in watch houses for extended periods. The report recommends the department take steps to improve the centre's environment to better accommodate children, including providing programs and outdoor facilities.

However, the number of children detained at the centre has significantly increased to 54 as of August 2026, and the average length of stay has been 7.1 days. The report also found that high-risk children are being transferred to the remand centre and staying for extended periods, with no clear records of the decision-making process.

The Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has pledged to continue investing in more facilities and early intervention programs, while the Opposition Leader Steven Miles criticized the government for failing to plan for the consequences of their decisions.