Youth Justice (Circuit Breaker) Amendment Bill 2026

Overview

This bill sets up a new 'Circuit Breaker' program for young people who are charged with or convicted of crimes in Queensland. Courts will be able to order a child to live at a strictly supervised residential site in a remote or rural area, run by a non-government provider, either as a condition of bail or as a sentence of between 3 and 6 months. The program focuses on rehabilitation, education and reintegration and is described as the 'last stop before detention'.

Who it affects

It mainly affects children in the youth justice system and their families, the non-government providers who will run the sites, and the courts and youth justice department that decide who goes. It is part of the government's broader Making Queensland Safer Plan.

Key changes

• Courts can impose a 'Circuit Breaker condition' on bail, but only when a child would otherwise be held in custody and the chief executive's suitability report says a place is available and the child is suitable.
• Courts can sentence a child to a 'Circuit Breaker order' of at least 3 and no more than 6 months, requiring the child to live at the site, wear an electronic monitor, and follow strict routines.
• Children in the program get education, training and mentoring on a rural property; time spent on the program counts toward a later detention or Circuit Breaker sentence.
• Non-government providers run the remote sites and must keep children safe, supervise them at all times, help them reach a lawyer, and report any harm to a child, with a penalty of up to 20 penalty units for failing to report.
• Sites are opened to oversight by the public guardian and community visitors, and providers are brought under child safe standards; the program can apply to offences allegedly committed before the law starts.