Is there jail alternative for youths?
A paper detailing a system to divert 18-24 year olds away from the criminal justice system and prison has been made available to the public.
Launched by Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James Browne TD, the paper suggests extending a system similar to the Garda Youth Diversion Scheme (GYD) to young adults aged 18-24 who offend.
The system would provide an alternative to prosecution for minor offences, where it could be determined that a person’s entry into the wider criminal justice system and prison could result in worse outcomes for the individual and society as a whole in the longer term.
The paper is intended to provide information on the department’s thinking on how such a diversion system might be approached, as well as to prompt discussions with the public. To this end, the public is now invited to offer submissions on the proposals contained in the discussion paper. An online public survey has also been opened and submissions will be open until 17 January 2023.
Speaking at the Annual Youth Justice Conference in Croke Park last week, Minister Browne said a conviction can result in a chain reaction of negative outcomes for a young person such as limited employment opportunities, the inability to travel abroad, and social exclusion, all of which can feed into reoffending cycles, which is not to anyone’s benefit,
Meanwhile the paper was made public as Minister Browne visited the Ballincollig Youth Diversion Project where he met with staff at the project and discussed the key issues in the area and the main challenges facing the team.
Following the meeting, Minister Browne said: “It was a real pleasure visiting the BAP Ballincollig Youth Diversion Project. It is very important to me to get around the country and see first-hand the work that projects like the BAP project do.
“These projects are an instrumental element in our strategy to address anti-social behaviour and keep communities in Ireland safe. They are also crucial for young people who come into contact with them as they can have a genuinely transformative impact on their lives.
“In the last 2 budgets we have thankfully seen big increases in funding for youth justice, with an additional €6.7m being allocated for 2023. In 2022, the BAP Project received over €150,000 in funding which allowed them to recruit two additional Youth Justice workers.”
He added: “This is very positive news as we know that for every cent we invest in youth justice services we will save further down the line by diverting young people away from anti-social behaviour and keeping them out of trouble with the law.”