Rehab straightens out young criminals

AN independent report has established that serious and persistent young criminals are more than twice as likely to go straight if they participate in rehabilitation courses run by the probation services.

The report, compiled by an expert from University College, Cork,

profiled 66 offenders who had undertaken the Intensive Probation Scheme (IPS) in Cork and found that more than half were never convicted of crime again.

In comparison, others of similar age and background who were jailed but didn't take part in the courses, were

almost guaranteed to re-offend 96.8% of them served further jail terms.

Launching the report last night, the head of the Irish Probation Services, Sean Lowry, said such intensive schemes were highly cost effective. He said the annual cost of keeping a

participant in an IPS course was just 7,758 compared to over 80,000 for keeping a person in jail.

"I think we need to put policies in place, so everything is tried before

imprisonment is considered," Mr. Lowry said. However, he added a lack of proper funding and staffing levels was putting a serious strain on the

probation services. The IPS courses are only run in Cork and Dublin and he said would like to see them extended to other areas of the country.

The report disclosed that the average person who had undergone IPS courses had committed nine previous

offences and already spent 29 months in jail.

The most common offences included larceny, burglary, malicious damage, criminal damage and a host of motoring offences.

The average age for a first conviction was 16.5 years old; 62% of those surveyed came from the northside of the city while the remained came from the southside and rural areas of county Cork. A total of 31.8% were single fathers, two-thirds of whom lived with a partner and child. The report also highlighted that most offenders came from large families and had an average of more than five brothers and sisters.

Early school leaving patterns were also noticed. On average they left

second level education at 14.5 years of age an extremely low percentage compared to 78% of the population who complete the leaving certificate.

The report also showed 59% had been engaged in casual seasonal and manual unskilled work at some stage, while 41% had never had jobs.