Report published on the implementation of National Youth Justice Strategy 2008-2010

October 31, 2012

In March 2008, the National Youth Justice Strategy 2008-2010 was launched. The Strategy set out five High Level Goals and 74 individual objectives to be achieved by the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS) and various other stakeholders, including the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

This month, IYJS published a report on the progress made in implementing the Strategy over its lifetime, indicating that 90% of the individual objectives set out had been achieved. Some of the achievements outlined in the report include:

•  a series of ‘Justice Family’ meetings were held in order to raise awareness on the part of the Judiciary as to the community sanction options available locally;
• additional statistical information, including a detailed breakdown of the use of community sanctions, from 2007 onwards is now provided by the Courts Service and the Young Person’s Probation Service (YPP); and
• the development of a new National Children Detention Facility on the Oberstown campus was approved, which should see the end of under 18s being committed to St. Patrick’s Institution. Funding for the project was announced in April 2012, with work due to begin in May 2013.

Areas of IYJS work that require further progress are also highlighted in the report, including:

• completion of the ongoing review of YPP projects and implementation of any recommendations arising;
• further development of aftercare services for children on release through linkage to local services; and
• continued development of the planned National Children Detention Facility.

Finally, the report provides interesting statistics on youth justice in Ireland:

• overall, youth crime has reduced significantly (14%) from 2009-2010, with a resulting reduction in the number of children referred to the Garda Diversion Programme, as well as those appearing before the Children’s Court;
• the number of young people participating on Garda Youth Diversion Projects has increased steadily over the lifetime of the Strategy, peaking at 5,480 in 2010;
• outcomes from the Children’s Court show an increase in the use of community sanctions and a corresponding reduction in the number of children being placed in children detention schools.

The full report may be read here.