GPS trackers set young criminals up for failure, Human Rights Commissioner says

Queensland’s Human Rights Commissioner says GPS trackers are best suited to sex offenders, not children, as he warns the State Government not to rush any changes to the youth justice system.

The Government said it would consider the use of GPS tracking devices for juvenile offenders following calls by the Queensland Police Union in the wake of a spate of incidents.

Scott McDougall said the proposal raised a number of human rights issues and said research suggested GPS devices created “a lot of stigma” for children and “didn’t necessarily work”.

“The research suggests they’re best suited to sex offenders, not to young children,” he said.

“There’s a real risk they’ll just set up children to fail as they need a certain amount of family…