Rising number of young people in Oberstown are detained there for 'very serious offences'

Half of those detained there had a mental health need, and 70% had substance misuse issues

The annual report of Oberstown Children Detention Centre says a growing proportion of young people there are detaied for very serious offences. Picture: Iain White/Fennell

The country's main detention facility for young people has said there has been a rise in the number of young people detained on longer sentences for very serious offences, including causing death.

This is making it hard for some to commit fully to specialist programmes when they know they will transfer to prison later on.

The 2020 annual report for the Oberstown Children Detention Campus outlined how the profile of those held there last year was in line with that of previous years, with half having a mental health need, 70% having a substance misuse problem, and four in 10 having suffered the loss of one or both parents through death, imprisonment or due to having no long-term contact.

Serious offences

Of the 122 individuals detained in Oberstown last year, 55 were on detention orders and 67 were on remand. The youngest person detained was just 13, and 75 young people were first-time admissions.

The report said all but three of those detained in 2020 were male, while 18 of those staying in Oberstown last year subject to care orders and 32 were from the Traveller Community.

Regarding the changing population profile, the report said: "In recent years Oberstown has seen a rise in the proportion of young people who are detained on longer sentences for very serious offences, including causing death.

"This requires the campus to provide specialist, offence-specific programmes and supports and to work hard to motivate young people to follow individual placement plans. 

"It can be hard for some young people to commit fully to programmes when they know they will transfer to prison; others make good progress addressing their offending behaviour, but there is a risk they will regress when they transfer to the adult system."

Health and education services

The report also outlined the range of services available to young people staying there, including access to education and health programmes. 

The HSE Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (FCAMHS) received 76 referrals last year for psychiatric services, alongside the ACTS (Assessment Consultation Therapy Service).

In addition, 115 concerns relating to the welfare and protection of young people were referred to the Designated Liaison Person (DLP) at the centre in line with Children First legislation. Of these, 87 related to external matters including incidents that occurred prior to the young person being placed on remand or detention orders in Oberstown and, overall, 25 concerns met the referral threshold and were forwarded as Mandated Reports to Tusla. Five of these concerns related to the period of time when the young person was in Oberstown.

Covid-free

The report also reveals the campus stayed free of Covid-19 thanks to a range of measures put in place, even though it did curtail for a time some of the services open to children.

In her Chairperson's foreword to the report, Prof Ursula Kilkelly of University College Cork, paid tribute to the staff and young people of Oberstown, particularly in overcoming the challenges faced by the pandemic.

"I am pleased to report not only that Oberstown came through this period without deviation from campus policy or diminution of the standard of care, but we also continued to innovate, to grow and to develop in line with the ambitions of the Oberstown Strategy," she said.