The Queensland Government is committed to keeping our community safe and supporting victims, actively tackling the complex causes of youth crime and targeting serious repeat offenders.
To create safer communities, and target serious repeat offenders, we are increasing youth detention centre capacity by building a new youth detention centre in Woodford. Stage 1 of the facility is currently expected to be constructed by early 2027.
This new youth detention centre supports our goal to provide more regional youth detention services, facilitating connection to family, community, Country, and support services during detention and when returning to the community.
Located in Woodford, Moreton Bay, the centre is well-connected to Brisbane and surrounding areas. It has easy access to major highways, and public transport options. This makes it convenient for:
- transport to and from the centre
- families, staff and services to access the centre.
While only an hour's drive from Brisbane, the centre's rural setting is well-situated to enable complete focus on rehabilitation and ensure minimal disruption to surrounding communities.
Consultation on the new youth detention centre at Woodford is now open.
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About the centre
The new youth detention centre at Woodford will include therapeutic design elements which aim to support rehabilitation for young people and improve community safety.
The features of the centre will include:
- 80 beds – comprised of two 40-bed campuses with some shared facilities in between
- smaller, more home-like accommodation units (8 or fewer beds per unit) purpose-built to encourage young people, staff, and stakeholders to work together
- consultation and treatment rooms
- multipurpose spaces for education, skills development and training
- areas for physical activity
- green spaces
- spaces for cultural connection, faith and spiritual support.
Centre statistics
Smaller, home-like accommodation units
80-bed capacity
Contemporary therapeutic design to support rehabilitation
The centre's design
The centre uses best-practice principles, including:
- trauma-informed design
- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
- carceral geography (which considers how the physical infrastructure shapes the experiences of staff and young people on centre).
The built environment will also reflect First Nations knowledge and culture and incorporate elements of nature.
The centre's design will support rehabilitation outcomes and improve community safety.
Therapeutic approaches
Youth detention centres play a crucial role in the management, rehabilitation and reintegration of young offenders into our communities.
Research shows a shift towards more therapeutic models of detention will support improved results for young people and improved community safety. A holistic approach focused on rehabilitation that takes into account the unique circumstances and challenges faced by young offenders will contribute to reduced recidivism.
One of the key features of a therapeutic model is the emphasis on mental health support. Many young offenders have experienced trauma, abuse or neglect, which can contribute to their involvement in criminal activities.
Although therapeutic, this is a place to consider the consequences of an offence.
Programs and services at the centre will aim to help young people:
- take responsibility for their actions
- be held accountable for their actions
- restore relationships
- make positive choices.
The centre will promote prosocial values and behaviours. Evidence shows this can lead to improved outcomes such as reduced rates of arrests and detention and lower rates of recidivism.
Young people will be helped to be aware of their behaviour and encouraged to make good decisions by promoting and reinforcing good behaviour. By setting clear boundaries and consequences for inappropriate behaviour, youth detention centres aim to teach accountability and responsibility.
Young people will be treated with respect and dignity at all times and encouraged to treat others with respect and dignity.
Finding the right balance of welfare, justice and security is essential in creating an environment that promotes growth and accountability among young people in detention.
Location
The youth detention centre will be built at the Woodford Correctional Precinct, adjacent to the existing adult correctional centre. The site was announced as the preferred site in May 2023.
The site meets important criteria for the effective operation of the centre and will have minimal negative effects on nearby residents and businesses.
Centres should ensure easy access for families, educational services, healthcare facilities, employees and contractors, while ensuring safety for young people and staff.
One of the key goals for our youth detention centres is to minimise disruption to the community.
The centre has been designed to provide a safe and secure environment for young offenders while also addressing their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
Often people are concerned about security in surrounding areas of youth detention centres. The young people attending the centre will only access it by using dedicated transport.
What the centre will look like
These images help to show how the building and spaces will look before the centre is built.
Have your say
Consultation on the new youth detention centre at Woodford is now open. We are looking to hear from young people, key stakeholders and service providers, local Elders and the community. Your contributions will make a difference to the design and function of the centre. Provide feedback on the facility and the centre's operations.
Working at the new youth detention centre
Being a detention youth worker offers a challenging and rewarding opportunity to:
- support young people in custody to make better choices
- directly contribute to community safety.
Positions will be available before the centre opens. They will be advertised on SmartJobs.
Learn more about detention youth worker careers.
What's next
- Site establishment works continue.
- The managing contractor is finalising a staging plan. This will ensure all site works happen in a way that recognises and preserves cultural heritage. Cultural monitors from the Jinibara People Aboriginal Corporation are working with the project team onsite. Archaeological surveys are continuing.
- The project team will continue to meet with Moreton Bay City Council and other key stakeholders to update them on the project.
- The project team will continue to work with the Jinibara People Aboriginal Corporation on aspects of the centre's buildings and surrounding environment. We will also work together on programs that focus on training and education to sustain forestry and healthy country planning.
Last updated 25 July 2024
