{
  "id": 9450182,
  "title": "Fed-up crime victims have their say on 'breach bail, go to jail' laws",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/fed-up-crime-victims-have-their-say-on-breach-bail-go-to-jail-laws",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T00:31:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-24/breach-bail-go-to-jail-hearings-queensland-laws/107184514"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A parliamentary committee in Queensland has concluded hearings across Cairns, Mareeba and Townsville to examine proposed tougher bail laws. Crime victims, legal experts and ex-prisoners voiced both hope for the bill's potential impact and concerns about its potential strain on the justice system. The legislation would require courts to have a \"high degree of confidence\" that an accused will not reoffend before granting bail on serious charges. It also introduces a new offence for committing a serious crime while on bail, which carries a mandatory 12-month jail term.\n\nLocal Barry Simpson, whose wife and family were victims of a break-in, supported the bill, emphasizing that current laws failed to protect victims. He urged the committee, \"If you haven't been broken into, you really don't know what the hell you're talking about.\" Meanwhile, Lyn Kelly, a representative for FNQ Softball, expressed concern over constant break-ins and vandalism at her Edmonton sporting complex, noting that resources meant for youth sports were being diverted to cover damage costs.\n\nCairns barrister Shay-Lee Laing, representing the Australian Lawyers Alliance, cautioned that the bill requires a conviction on the original charge before an accused can face the new offence, potentially discouraging guilty pleas and putting additional pressure on the justice system. Former inmate Tahlia Isaac warned against the committee's \"false sense of safety,\" arguing that rehabilitation programs, not harsher sentences, should be prioritized. Isaac, who transformed from a drug offender to helping female prisoners re-enter society, stated that improved support systems rather than stricter laws led to her change.\n\nFirst Nations support group director Carl Lymburner, reflecting on his own history with crime, emphasized the importance of rehabilitation, particularly for Indigenous offenders, and criticized the bill's approach as akin to sending youth to \"missions\" in prison. Despite the diverse range of opinions, the committee will prepare a report for parliament, and the government intends to pass the bill before the year's end.",
  "summary": "Exhausted crime victims fill a small hall in the regional Queensland town of Mareeba, determined to have their voices heard on proposed tougher bail laws.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}