Fíona Ní Chinnéide

David Stanton, the minister with responsibility for youth justice, last week published his draft strategy for youth justice for the six-year period from 2020 to 2026.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), which is preparing its own submission to Mr Stanton’s consultation, has welcomed the inclusion of proposals covering 18-24 year olds. Previous youth justice plans have only considered under-18s.

Fíona Ní Chinnéide, IPRT executive director, said: “International evidence shows that young adults are more amenable to rehabilitation than older adults, as the brain and maturity continue to develop into a persons’ mid-twenties. The right interventions at this age support desistance but the wrong interventions can deepen offending behaviour.

“A distinct approach that responds to the special circumstances of young people transitioning into adulthood will promote better outcomes and reduce crime. Investment in these approaches will reap dividends for all society in the long-term. In this respect, we particularly welcome consideration of suitable diversion programmes for 18-24 year olds.”

The group also welcomed proposals to place a positive duty on State agencies to work together, and the draft strategy’s “clear and consistent focus” on reaching hard-to-reach groups, including children in care, children with neuro-disabilities, and ethnic minority children.

Ms Ní Chinnéide said: “Hard to reach groups and those disproportionately represented in the youth justice system are often escalated through the system because of the inflexibility of alternative interventions to deal with their specific circumstances.

“While we welcome a range of proposals to better respond to these groups, we particularly welcome the proposed extension and adaption of the Bail Supervision Scheme to address individual needs. This will help ensure that the use of detention as a measure of last resort continues at the core of the youth justice system.”

The proposed establishment of a National Oversight Group to monitor the implementation of the Strategy and to develop a research-based facility will be a key driver to supporting evidence-led policy, she added.