On Monday, a coalition of 12 groups including the ALS, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and NSW Aboriginal Land Council revealed that multiple government sources had “indicated off the record that a proposal to introduce punitive law and order measures – including changes to bail laws that will result in more children going to jail – may be considered as early as this week”.
On Tuesday morning the Daily Telegraph reported that NSW Cabinet ministers had signed off on a ‘sweeping package designed to stop a youth crime’ wave, including bail changes and new “intervention” measures.
Ms Warner said changes to bail laws that lock more children up is ‘a short-term political stunt that won’t fix a thing on the ground in communities.’
‘NSW needs more youth engagement and supports because that stops crime from happening. We don’t need more short-sighted political fixes like this, that will make communities more dangerous,’ she said.
‘You don’t make communities safer by locking up children. Tightening bail laws to keep children locked up hasn’t worked in a single place it’s been tried. You only have to look at what’s happening in Queensland to see that it will be an unmitigated disaster.’