Overview
- Opposition leader Jess Wilson unveiled the plan at the Coalition's campaign launch on Sunday, Nov. 15, saying courts could send 14 to 17-year-old offenders to a compulsory program at the former Dhurringile Prison.
- The proposed bootcamp would require daily physical work such as farm tasks, cleaning, maintenance and cooking alongside education, and attendance would be mandatory for those ordered to the program.
- Labor called the policy a 'half-baked thought bubble' and said the Coalition has not provided cost estimates, a legal pathway or a timetable for opening the facility.
- The announcement directly contrasts with Labor's fully costed $204 million plan for mandatory therapeutic detention that prioritises treatment, and makes youth crime a central issue in the November 28 state election campaign.
- The Dhurringile site closed in September 2024 and has been the subject of sale negotiations with local environmental and Yorta Yorta organisations, which raises questions about ownership, maintenance costs and the feasibility of repurposing the property.