Juvenile offenders approve of move

MORE than nine out of 10 juvenile offenders and their victims are happy with a garda programme bringing them together, research shows.

The study calls for the expansion of the Garda Restorative Justice Programme through greater resources and support.

The restorative justice programme is an alternative to the criminal process and aims to repair the harm of a crime and prevent reoffending.

A study - carried out by the Garda Research Unit - found that between 93%-94% of victims, offenders and offender supporters expressed “very high levels of satisfaction” with the programme.

Author Kieran O’Dwyer said agreements were completed by offenders in 89% of cases. He said these agreements include compensation, work for the community or the victim, donations to charity, returning to school, training, counselling, etc.

He said one in five children reoffended, which he said was at the very least a modest result.

Mr O’Dwyer said a key strength of the restorative process was the humanising effect.

He said the number of restorative events represented a tiny percentage of potential cases processed under the Juvenile Diversion Programme.

Family law expert Geoffrey Shannon said plans by Justice Minister Michael McDowell not to increase the age of criminal responsibility from seven to 12 - as set out in the Children Act - threw the act into “considerable disarray”.

Mr Shannon said the minister’s proposal to introduce Anti-Social Behaviours Orders (Asbos) would increase detention of young people and divert funds away from implementing the Children Act.

Claire Hamilton and Máiréad Seymour of DIT said the definition of what was anti-social under Asbos was almost “unlimited” and that it used low standards of evidence, including hearsay.

They said breach of Asbos involved a custodial sentence, even if the offence itself was not criminal.