2010 Annual Report of the Committee Appointed to Monitor the Effectiveness of the Diversion Programme.

13th September 2011

The Diversion Programme is a package of measures for dealing with children between the age of 10 years and 18 years, who commit an offence or offences.  The Programme is managed by a Garda Superintendent appointed by the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána.  In order to be admitted to the programme a child must: 

• be between the age of 10 years and 18 years
•  accept responsibility for his/her criminal behaviour
• consent to being cautioned and were appropriate, supervised

Those children deemed suitable for admission are then issued with either an informal caution for a minor offence or a formal caution for those offences deemed more serious.

Restorative Justice has also had a large role to play in the Diversion Programme and the caution process.  Sometimes the victim is invited to a formal caution, known as a restorative caution.

OVERVIEW OF FIGURES

• The total number of referrals made to the Diversion Programme during 2010 was 27,257 an increase of 3,305 or 13.8% on 2009. 
• The total number of individual children referred to the programme was 17,986 which is a decrease of 533 or 2.9% from the 2009 total. 
• 22% of children referred in 2010 were female while 78% were male
• Of those children referred, 12,899 (72%) were admitted to the Diversion Programme.
• 72% of those referred received cautions, with informal cautions accounting for 52% while 20% received formal cautions.
• 17% of children were deemed not suitable for inclusion in the Diversion Programme.

The Main Recommendations of the Committee were that:

• The Garda Analysis Service research recidivism rates for youths included in the Diversion Programme.
• The Garda Office for Children and Youth Affairs undertake a review of all cases where the young person is under 16 years of age and has been deemed unsuitable for inclusion in the Diversion Programme for all future cases. 
• Consideration is given to adapting restorative practices for all Juvenile Liaison Officers work.

Read the full Report here.

Read the Minister's Press Release here.