QUEENSLAND'S youthful criminals can still expect a stint at a rural boot camp in the years ahead, but the harsher edges of the old military-style camp will be softened.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie yesterday re-affirmed the LNP Government's commitment to overhaul youth justice, saying boot camp trials were the starting point.

The re-affirmation follows revelations there are more than 2000 hard-core youthful criminals around Queensland who have cost the state more than $130 million in the first decade of the century.

The report on juvenile crime, released by the Australian Institute of Criminology with Griffith University, shows regional Queensland bearing the brunt of the youthful offenders.

Griffith criminology lecturer Dr Troy Allard, who was involved in the study for two years, said there was evidence the old military-style boot camp actually increased crime rates but those focused on developing life skills could be effective.

Mr Bleijie said boot camps were a key component of the Newman Government's proactive approach to help young offenders rehabilitate.

"We have made it very clear from the outset ours will not be military-style boot camps," Mr Bleijie said.

"They will provide discipline, structure and physical training but they will also have a community-focused component on family, education and social issues."

Mr Bleijie said the Government wanted to change the culture of youth crime and reduce the number of young repeat offenders.

"What we are seeing in this report released by the AIC this morning are the results of the former Labor government's slap-on-the-wrist approach," he said.

"It was not effective and instead created a generation of arrogant repeat offenders, who are all too familiar with the revolving door of the state's courts."

Originally published as Boot camps to soften for hard young crims