National Youth Justice Strategy

31st March 2008

The National Youth Justice Strategy 2008-2010 was launched in March 2008. The purpose of the strategy is to develop a co-ordinated partnership approach among agencies working in the youth justice system, to improve service delivery in the system through diversion, restorative justice, rehabilitation and detention as a last resort.

The strategy outlines the actions to be taken by IYJS and other Government Departments and agencies to create a safer society by working together to reduce youth offending through appropriate interventions and linkages into services. It includes the following high-level goals:

1. To provide leadership and build public confidence in the youth justice system;
2. To work to reduce offending by diverting young people from offending behaviour;
3. To promote the greater use of community sanctions and initiatives to deal with young people who offend;
4. To provide a safe and secure environment for detained children which will assist their early re-integration into the community;
5. To strengthen and develop information and data sources in the youth justice system to support more effective policies and services.

A number of objectives and targets were set for each goal to help measure progress, to assess where available resources should be targeted and to identify key tasks for the various Government Departments and Agencies involved.

Source: www.iyjs.ie

Download the National Youth Justice Strategy 2008-10 here.