Fears as juvenile facility plan is shelved

TEENAGERS will continue to be locked up in an adult prison indefinitely as the planned expansion of a juvenile facility has been shelved as part of cutbacks.

Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan urged the Justice Minster and the Minister for Children to make a statement on what was going to happen to young people still being housed in St Patrick’s prison, despite international calls to end this practice.

The economic situation has led to a number of capital projects being shelved, including the expansion of the juvenile detention facility at Oberstown, to which those in St Patrick’s would be transferred.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, the ombudsman said there seemed to be little political will to solve the problem. “These are children who are the very end result of the state failing them. They have no-one to shout out for them, and my worry is that they will be forgotten because there is no fuss about it,” she said.

“The building is atrocious and unsuitable and of more concern to me, is that fact that these 16 and 17 year olds are not viewed as children but rather as prisoners, and remain detained in a predominantly custodial environment in which some of them have told my office they do not feel safe.”

She said that until the funding for the expansion of Oberstown was available, creative solutions must be found to transition the children from St Patrick’s as soon as possible.

“There is no plan B for these children. There are interim solutions though which could be considered. We are talking about 60 young people. An alternative must be found for them,” she said.

Ms Logan has raised her concerns about children in prison numerous times. The response was always the expansion of Oberstown.

“The Government’s policy in relation to children in St Patrick’s Institution is clear. But now that the situation has changed, both ministers with responsibility in this area, the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Children must develop and communicate their new plan for these children as a matter of priority,” she said.