A youth justice school, designed to improve outcomes for high-risk teenagers and lower youth crime rates, will be built in Logan Central, the state government announced this week.
Ohana Academy in Logan Central will be the first youth justice school of its kind in Queensland and is expected to begin enrolling students who have been referred to the school in the second half of 2026.
Founder of Ohana for Youth, the non-profit youth organisation that will run the school, Aaron Devine, said he hoped to deliver positive outcomes for young people attending the school and the broader community.
“This pilot represents a practical investment in long-term change for young people and communities,” Mr Devine said.
“When young people are supported to re-engage in education, build skills, and reconnect with positive pathways, the benefits flow through to families, communities and community safety.”
The school, Ohana Academy, is expected to deliver a specialised behavioral reform program to re-engage young people with education, employment and the community.
Individual case management, one-on-one mentoring, family support and parental coaching will be available for Ohana students, age 12 to 17, who have been issued police cautions, may be completing community service orders, or are currently on bail.
Day-to-day students will be supervised by school staff for 12 hours per day, five days a week, and work to a ‘project-based’ curriculum.
A second youth justice school, delivered by the same Gold Coast-based non-profit youth charity, Ohana for Youth, will be built in Cairns.
Both schools are part of the state government’s $40 million investment to build dedicated youth justice schools, which they hope will have a knock-on effect on youth crime numbers, Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support Laura Gerber said.
“These schools will offer a specialised education curriculum in a structured, disciplined environment for high-risk teenagers on youth justice orders to divert them from crime,” Minister Gerber said.
