19th November 2024
On 19 November 2024, Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, attended and presented at the Youth Diversion Project Conference in Croke Park. Saoirse's full remarks are available here.
Saoirse spoke about the Youth Justice Strategy, airing caution to proposals to extend the age range of children and young people that engage with youth diversion projects (YDP) due to unintended consequences. She reiterated IPRT’s position that the minimum age of criminal responsibility should be increased to 14.
Welcoming the proposal to extend diversion for 18-24 year olds, Saoirse raised the consideration for young people aged 18+ to be accommodated separately from the adult prison population, and where possible, to serve this cohort better through promoting, expanding and investing in alternatives to custody. A distinct approach that responds to the special circumstances of young people transitioning into adulthood will promote better outcomes and reduce crime. Saoirse touched on the economic argument to be made for young adults to access diversion programmes.
IPRT would also welcome the development of sentencing guidelines for judges by the Sentencing Guidelines Information Committee (SGIC) when faced with a sentencing decision about a young person under 25 as the brain does not fully mature until the
age of 25 at least.
IPRT has also called for the bail supervision scheme for young people to be adapted and replicated in the adult system. Saoirse flagged the proportionately high number of children being held in pre-trial detention in Oberstown, with the number of remand orders (70 in 2023) continuing to be higher than detention orders (59 in 2023).
Saoirse welcomed the proposals in the Youth Justice Strategy to review and amend the Children Act 2001. She also called for the collection of more data around the connection between the youth justice system and the adult system, urged the Department and the next Minister to consider putting in place a dedicated Youth Justice Agency, and called for the strengthening of oversight.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.