In response the appointment of Katarina Carroll as Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service, Joel Clark, Amnesty International Indigenous Rights Advocate said:
“We welcome Commissioner Carroll to her recent appointment, and celebrate the fact that she will be Queensland’s first female Police Commissioner.
“With new leadership comes the opportunity for genuine change and reform. Commissioner Carroll can help make Queensland’s justice system a more just one, particularly for Indigenous children who are staggeringly over-represented.
“Amnesty calls on Commissioner Carroll to start by stopping children from being held overnight in police watchhouses. These facilities aren’t designed to detain children, and are harmful. Instead we should be investing in early intervention and prevention programs to keep kids out of prison.
“The Government must also work with the incoming Commissioner to find more appropriate and effective solutions to youth detention and reduce the number of children on remand.
“This can be achieved through supporting culturally appropriate, Indigenous community controlled bail accommodation and support services”.
