Fears over violence at juvenile prison

A prison watchdog has raised concerns at the ability of Oberstown children’s detention school to handle violent 17-year-old offenders.

The warning from the St Patrick’s Institution prison visiting committee follows a number of serious incidents at the jail, including one involving the biting of two prison officers, who subsequently had to undergo HIV tests.

The extended children’s facility at Oberstown, north Dublin, is to take all offenders aged under 18 — as detention of young offenders at St Patrick’s ceases.