Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has said that the State Government’s response to the escalating juvenile crime wave is totally inappropriate, following an incident where two armed youths escaped from the Kuranda juvenile boot camp.

“These so-called boot camps are more like holiday camps with poor security and locating them in town is a terrible mistake,” Mr Katter said.

“To think that people convicted of offences are thrown in the middle of one of the most important tourist destinations in Australia, Kuranda is beyond belief.

“Mr Geoff Guest OAM at the Petford Training Farm is an industry leader in this field with over 30 years experience dealing with juvenile and adult offenders.

“Why the State Government did not seek advice from Geoff Guest who has had tremendous success with rehabilitating over 4000 people is inconceivable.

“For the State Government to go off like a rocket and set up these facilities in residential areas without forewarning communities is total foolishness,” said Mr Katter.

Mr Katter said that the Government should have taken Geoff on board from the beginning and asked his advice regarding location appropriateness.

“The Petford Farm, west of Mareeba is a rehabilitation centre applying Geoff’s program to troubled kids.

“He has pioneered treatments for dealing with ADD, substance abuse and alcoholism.

“Instead of using pharmaceutical drugs he reverts to a nutritional diet without refined foods and sugar drinks,” said Mr Katter.

Mr Katter said that the Petford program has been praised by health services, correctional authorities, police and courts in the north Queensland as the best available and he is calling on the State Government to immediately enlist Geoff Guest to sort out the mess.