The younger a child is slapped with a probation order or locked up for committing a crime, the more likely they are to return behind bars.
So when Queensland brought in laws allowing kids as young as 10 to be held in police watch houses, human rights groups were appalled.
Indigenous advocates were also alarmed given the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the youth justice system.
Does putting children in detention prevent or produce crime? AAP, SBS News