The Department of Communities is committed to providing high quality evidence based youth justice services. In meeting this commitment we undertake ongoing research and data analysis to ensure that the system is functioning efficiently, safely and in the best interests of the community.

One research project commissioned by the department recently aimed to identify the factors leading to the high rates of remand in custody in Queensland juvenile detention facilities. The remand rate is the percentage of the total number of detained young people who are on remand. The remainder of the youth detention population comprises those young people who are serving a court ordered detention sentence.

Professor Paul Mazerolle and Dr Jennifer Sanderson from Griffith University completed an analysis of the issues impacting on youth remand rates, including a literature review, cross-jurisdictional analysis, interviews with professionals who work in the youth justice system, review of a sample of case files and quantitative analysis of departmental youth justice data.

The report provides some useful insights into remand rates and highlights some possible solutions. Although it forms only one source of information to assist decision making, the report findings continue to inform departmental responses to the issue of remand numbers in youth detention centres in Queensland.