Advocates say children are being held in adult watch houses in Queensland for weeks at a time

A juvenile being held in an adult watch house for more than a month, kids sleeping in shower stalls on mats, and children being denied access to fresh air and sunlight are examples of Queensland's youth justice system at crisis point, advocates and lawyers say. Key points: Queensland children are reportedly being held in adult watch houses for weeks at a time Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says it’s not the desire of the state to have children in watch houses The state's human rights commissioner has linked the issue to bail legislation changes Youth Advocacy Centre CEO Katherine Hayes said a concerning pattern of young people being detained for weeks in Queensland watch houses had emerged. Ms Hayes said the experiences for young people in watch houses at the moment have been "dehumanising and traumatising" and could lead to an increased likelihood of reoffending. Previously, Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard had said in a statement that young people were held in watch houses as part of normal processing, including arranging transport to a youth detention centre. She said that her department "works closely with police to ensure young people are not held in watch houses any longer than required".