Scheme to divert young offenders from crime and drugs ‘should be extended’
The study said two full-time staff need to be employed to the novel programme, which operates in Dublin’s north-inner city.
The juvenile ‘arrest referral’ pilot project launched by Minister of State Noel Ahern, who is responsible for the national drugs strategy, is a ground-breaking initiative between the gardaí and the health services.
Dublin’s north-inner city has a well-documented chronic drug problem and an unemployment rate 2.5 times the Dublin City average.
“Although the initial uptake of the pilot scheme has been quite low, the implementation of the scheme in Dublin’s north-inner city is one of the first such projects established on a formal basis between An Garda Síochána and the Health Authorities in Ireland and it is hoped it will be a significant development in working towards formalising policy and procedures around these schemes for the future,” said the study.
The research, Changing Track, said it was encouraging that gardaí now reported “growing numbers of referrals” as the pilot became more established. “The overall recommendation of this research is that the scheme continues into an extended pilot phase with additional resources in terms of staff, programme development and monitoring,” said the report. “If the success of this pilot is proven the model could be replicated in other areas.” The report, commissioned by the North Inner City Drugs Task Force, said funding should be provided to recruit two staff to work alongside, but independent of, the gardaí. The representatives of local treatment agencies, diversionary projects and the Probation and Welfare Service should be brought on board. The report said studies had highlighted a clear link between drug use and crime.
A study of the prison population found that 51% of men and 69% of women claimed to have been under the influence of drugs when they committed the crime for which they were jailed.
Garda figures for juvenile offenders found that 42% of cases were alcohol-related, 17% drug-related, while 4% involved both.
Mr Ahern welcomed the report and said juvenile arrest referral schemes offered a way out to young offenders at risk of persistent criminal behaviour.
“In the north-inner city the arrest referral process, though in its early stages, is facilitating tracking of juveniles to services aimed at helping them address their drug use and related offending behaviour,” said Mr Ahern. He said while the initial take-up had been low, this was comparable with findings in the set-up of this type of scheme in Britain.
Mr Ahern is in favour of enhancing the scheme. “Arrest referral schemes appear to offer much potential in delivering targeted intervention at a time of need for vulnerable young people. With effective monitoring and evaluation, the pilot can become a transferable model of best practice in early intervention in line with the National Drugs Strategy.”
