Sisters Inside is horrified by the LNP’s latest announcement of “nine early intervention residential programs”, including a $50 million “Regional Reset Program” that aims to provide 24/7 intensive intervention for so-called “troubled” youth. ‘The suggestion that children—who have not even been involved with the criminal legal system—should be removed from their families, schools and
communities, and subjected to programs reinforcing discipline and consequences, is nothing short of outrageous,’ said Debbie Kilroy, CEO of Sisters Inside.
‘The LNP is targeting our children based on what? Their race, their economic status, or their family connections? These programs label children as “high-risk” and they haven’t even committed any crime, dragging them into a punitive system based on mere suspicion. This is not prevention this is pre-emptive punishment that criminalises children for living in communities already marginalised and over-policed,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘We reject the notion that these programs offer any real solution to the challenges faced by children and families. Instead, they further alienate children from their families and communities, casting them as suspects in a system that profits off fear and control. Children who have not attended court for any offence, or who are simply younger siblings of people in the system, are being flagged for this intervention,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘The implications are staggering—these children are being profiled not based on their actions, but on assumptions rooted in systemic biases of race, gender, poverty, and familial relationships,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘This dangerous move threatens to create a new wave of Stolen Generations. By removing children from their families and communities under the guise of early intervention is a throwback to the protection era, making the LNP the new mission managers and this new plan a replica of the historical injustices of forced removals—tearing children from their cultural and familial ties, and pushing them into child stealing systems,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘Children deserve support within their communities, not forced separation and institutionalisation,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘Sisters Inside demand that this attack on our children be stopped. The LNP’s approach only deepens the cycle of criminalisation and poverty in our communities, offering no genuine support for the underlying issues these children face – issues that have been caused by the government’s continued underfunding of social and community services,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘Instead, we call for community-driven, culturally informed support systems that build trust and foster positive outcomes for our children without turning them into suspects before they’ve even done anything wrong,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘The LNP’s latest proposal calls these kids the “untouchables”, but the real untouchables will be the LNP if they get elected on the 26 October 2024. If they are elected and implement these kinds of initiatives, we will see devastating effects in our communities and there will be no turning about,’ said Debbie Kilroy. ‘This proposal is not about providing care—it’s about racism, it’s about control. It is time to stop targeting children and instead invest in our communities,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474