Queensland

This fact sheet summarises key findings of young people under youth justice supervision for Queensland, including the number and rate of young people under community-based supervision and in detention. It also summarises data on young people by age, sex, Indigenous status, legal status, time under supervision and contains trends.

Impact of COVID-19 on youth justice data

This report includes data from March 2020 to June 2022, which coincides with the presence of COVID-19 in Australia. However, the direct impact of COVID-19 and related social restrictions on the number of young people under youth justice supervision is difficult to determine due to a range of factors and more research is required.

Number and rate

On an average day in 2021–22, in Queensland:

  • 1,624 young people aged 10 and over were under youth justice supervision (Table S131a)
  • more than 4 in 5 (83%) were supervised in the community (Table S131b), and 18% in detention (Table S131c) (the proportion of young people under community-based supervision and in detention may not sum to 100% as young people may have been under community-based supervision and in detention on the same day)
  • the rate of supervision was 21 per 10,000 young people aged 10–17 (Table 132a)
  • 17 per 10,000 young people aged 10–17 were under community-based supervision (Table S132b), and 4.8 per 10,000 were in detention (Table S132c).

Age and sex

On an average day in 2021–22, in Queensland:

  • 73% of those under supervision were aged 10–17, and the rest were 18 and over
  • nearly 4 in 5 (78%) of young people under supervision were male
  • males under supervision were most likely to be aged 18 and over, while females were most likely to be aged 17 (Table S131a).
     

This population pyramid shows the age, sex and Indigenous status under supervision, community-based supervision and detention for Queensland. It shows that there were more males under all types of supervision than females. The age distribution of males and females was broadly similar, however males under supervision were slightly older on average than females. The largest number of males were aged 18 or older and the largest  number of females were aged 17. Very few males and females under supervision were aged 13 and under in any state or territory. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people

On an average day in 2021–22, in Queensland:

  • Indigenous young people made up 7.8% of those aged 10–17 in the general population, but 64% (or 758) of those of the same age under supervision (tables S131a and S144)
  • Similar proportions of Indigenous young people aged 10–17 were under community-based supervision (64% or 587) and detention (66% or 177) (tables S131b and S131c).
  • Indigenous young people aged 10–17 were 21 times as likely as non-Indigenous young people to be under supervision (175 per 10,000 compared with 8.2 per 10,000) (Table S132a)
  • Indigenous over-representation was similar in community-based supervision (21 times the non‑Indigenous rate) and detention (23 times the non‑Indigenous rate) (tables S132b and S132c).

Time under supervision

In 2021–22, in Queensland:

  • completed periods of supervision lasted a median length of 239 days (about 34 weeks) (Table S29)
  • when all time spent under supervision during the year is considered, young people spent an average of 228 days (nearly 33 weeks) under supervision (Table S30).

Sentenced and unsentenced detention

On an average day in 2021–22, in Queensland:

  • nearly 9 in 10 (89%) young people in detention were unsentenced—that is, they were awaiting the outcome of their court matter, or had been found guilty and were awaiting sentencing
  • 13% of young people in detention were serving a sentence (proportions might not sum to 100%, as young people may be in sentenced and unsentenced detention on the same day) (Table S108a).

Trends to 2021–22

Over the 5 years to 2021–22, on an average day, in Queensland:

  • the number of young people under supervision remained stable overall, from 1,620 in 2017–18 to 1,624 in 2021–22, with a high of 1,932 in 2018–19 (Table S131a)
  • the rate of young people aged 10–17 under supervision fell overall from 28 to 21 per 10,000 young people aged 10–17 (Table S12a)
  • in community-based supervision, the number fell slightly by 5% (Table S131b), while the rate of those aged 10–17 fell from 24 to 17 (Table S45a)
  • in detention, the number rose by 37% (Table 131c), and the rate fluctuated between 3.6 and 4.8 per 10,000 (Table S83a)
  • the rate of Indigenous young people under supervision decreased from 209 to 175 per 10,000 (Table S12a).
     

This line graph shows the number and rate of young people under supervision, community-based supervision and detention over the 5 years from 2017-18 to 2021-22 for Queensland. It shows that rates peaked in 2018–19, then a decline in the rate under supervision and community-based supervision. The rate increased over the 5-year period for detention.

More information

This fact sheet is part of the Youth justice in Australia 2021–22 release, which includes a report, state and territory fact sheets, and supplementary data tables.

Together, these provide comprehensive information about young people under youth justice supervision in Australia due to their involvement, or alleged involvement, in crime.

For more information see the Youth justice topic.