New youth detention centre in Woodford

Centre statistics

Smaller, home-like accommodation units

80-bed capacity

Contemporary design to support rehabilitation and safety

The centre's design

Architects have led the design of the new centre. It reflects contemporary design and best-practice principles, including:

• trauma-informed design to help create a safer environment for staff and young people
• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) to create a more secure physical environment
• carceral geography (which considers how the physical infrastructure shapes the experiences of staff and young people on centre, including spaces that increase or decrease stress)
• culturally appropriate design
• elements of nature (which studies have shown reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress, improve behaviour and lead to reduced recidivism).

The centre's design supports rehabilitation outcomes and improves community safety.

Best practice approaches to detention

Youth detention centres play a crucial role in the management, rehabilitation, and reintegration of young offenders into our communities.

Research shows that more therapeutic approaches to youth detention deliver improved results for young people and improved community safety. A holistic approach focused on meeting the unique needs of each young person and providing evidence-based programs to address their offending leads to reduced recidivism.

One of the key features of detention models that reduce recidivism is their emphasis on addressing a young person's reason for offending – including health, mental health, disability, education and employment needs. In Queensland, we know that young offenders have complex needs:

• 53% of young offenders have experienced or been impacted by domestic and family violence
• 44% have a mental health and/or behavioural disorder
• 48% are disengaged from education, training or employment
• 44% have a disability¹.

¹Youth Justice Pocket Stats 2023–2024

That's why programs and services at the Woodford centre will aim to help young people change entrenched behaviours and:

• 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 and a centre where staff, young people and visitors feel safe.

Location

The youth detention centre will be built at Neurum Road, Woodford. The site was announced as the preferred site in May 2023.

This location 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 accommodated at the centre will be accessing it using supervised transport.

What the centre will look like

These images help to show how the building and spaces will look before the centre is built.

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

• Bulk earthworks, retaining walls and piling are underway.
• All site works will continue to happen in a way that recognises and preserves cultural heritage. Cultural monitors from the Jinibara People Aboriginal Corporation will continue to work with the project team onsite and artefacts will be salvaged and curated.
• The project team will continue to regularly 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.