30th December 2013
The Department of Justice and Equality has published the 'The Annual Report of the Committee Appointed to Monitor the Effectiveness of the Diversion Programme 2012'. The report records a drop in the number of children coming to the attention of the Gardaí for a sixth year in a row. This amounts to a drop of 563 children, or 4.4%.
The programme itself is an effort by the Gardaí to keep juvenile offenders away from the court system. Typically, a child offender has admitted guilt and then commits to work with other agencies in certain local projects which promote civic responsibility, personal development or employability. The child is kept under the supervision of a Garda Juvenile Liaison Officer for a period and restorative justice is involved whereby the young offender meets the victim. The figures also reveal that 80% of children referred to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme are admitted.
Read
Department of Justice and Equality, 'Minister Shatter publishes the Annual Report of the Committee appointed to monitor the effectiveness of the Garda Diversion Programme 2012'
Department of Justice and Equality, The Annual Report of the Committee Appointed to Monitor the Effectiveness of the Diversion Programme 2012
Irish Times, 'Number of child offenders falls for sixth year in row'
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.