Terms of reference

The Youth Detention Review was established to enable an independent inquiry into the treatment of young people detained in Queensland’s youth detention centres.

The Commissions of Inquiry Order (No 1) 2016 (PDF format) Commissions of Inquiry Order (No 1) 2016 (Word format) and Commissions of Inquiry Amendment Order (No 1) 2016 (PDF format) Commissions of Inquiry Amendment Order (No 1) 2016 (Word format) formally appointed the Commissioners, and outlined the terms of reference for the review.

Pursuant to the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1950 (Qld) and the Commissions of Inquiry Order (No 1) 2016 and the Commissions of Inquiry Amendment Order (No 1) 2016, the Youth Detention Review is to conduct an independent inquiry into:

1. the operations of the Cleveland Youth Detention Centre and the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre with respect to the following matters—
   1. a review of the specific allegations of the mistreatment of young people made by former staff members and young people (formerly in youth detention in Queensland) in:
      1. the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s 7:30 and Lateline programs broadcast on Thursday 18 August 2016; and
      2. other public commentary (including the report by Amnesty International) in relation to those allegations;
   2. a review of the policies and practices currently operating within Queensland’s youth detention centres in relation to the use of force, separation, restraints, reporting, monitoring, and complaint and investigation mechanisms for alleged incidents;
   3. a review of the effectiveness of existing oversight mechanisms which operate in respect of the allegations referred to in paragraph 3(a)(i);
   4. with respect to incidents reported under any of the existing oversight mechanisms referred to in paragraph 3(a)(iii) since 1 January 2011 (reported incidents), a review of any specific allegations that the reported incidents were not appropriately investigated or that any action taken as a result of the investigation failed to address the mistreatment of young people in detention in Queensland;
   5. a review of the effectiveness of current programs and services delivered in Queensland’s youth detention centres that relate to assisting young people to address the causational issues behind their offending behaviour; and
   6. a review of the current cultural programs and services delivered in Queensland’s youth detention centres and their effectiveness in addressing the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in youth detention; and
2. the operations of Queensland prisons with respect to the following matters—
   1. a review of the specific allegations of the mistreatment of a 17-year-old prisoner in the Brisbane Correctional Centre made in a report in The Courier-Mail on 29 August 2016; and
   2. a review of the policies and practices currently operating for 17-year–old prisoners within prisons in relation to the use of force, separation, restraints, reporting, monitoring, and complaint and investigation mechanisms for alleged incidents.
   3. relation to the management of a young person known as "A9" at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre from early to mid-2013 that resulted in a serious restraint incident on 27 May 2013 and all subsequent incidents, including the management of those incidents involving that young person.