While the Queensland Government has moved to quell repeat young offender rates, the new measures have copped criticism for weakly addressing the issue. 

Former Queensland Corrective Services Commission Director General and founder of Knowledge Consulting Keith Hamburger said there needs to be a more holistic approach.

“Problematic young people and bail don’t really work. These people are impulsive,” he told Bill McDonald.

“What we’ve got to understand is there’s generational trauma here.”

Mr Hamburger hit down the measure for courts to require assurance from parents or guardians.

“We’re dealing here with very problematic and in many cases dysfunctional parents and parents living in poverty and all sorts of issues,” he said.

“Supervising them on bail or putting them on supervised orders is not effective and we need a better process than that.”

Mr Hamburger proposes assessment centres staffed by psychologists, health workers and educators as an alternative response.

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