Juvenile rehabilitation neglected

Juvenile crime is on the increase, so it was backward to close Spike Island prison.

Juvenile services are fragmented. Spike Island’s closure was based on questionable financial calculations, and took no account of its excellent facilities, nor the relationships between prison officers, local networks and education built up over 18 years.

It was a prison with an excellent education programme and one of the few to offer a post-release training course, including a community employment scheme and a parent support group.

With the closure of Spike Island and Shanaganagh Castle, there are fewer places for juveniles in the prison system, resulting in overcrowding in St Patrick’s Institution.

This, in turn, results in inmates sleeping on floors. Homelessness is one aspect of juvenile crime. Traditionally, boys became homeless, but an increasing number of girls are becoming so.

Various reasons are forwarded for this, including lack of family communication, decline of the extended family, marital breakdown, stress, unemployment and deprivation.

Not enough hostels are provided, whether through statutory agencies or the voluntary sector, to deal with homelessness, which is becoming a major concern. In passing, I congratulate Fr Peter McVerry for his understanding work in Dublin.

The importance of sport has been hugely underestimated as a way of keeping children out of trouble. Communities that have sporting facilities and leaders are fortunate, because children are motivated, occupied, and acquire self-esteem from sport.

Communities that lack those social facilities and leadership need State help.

Our young people are condemned when they become involved in criminal activity, and when a rehab and education centre was set up in Spike Island, the Minister for Justice of the day, Michael McDowell, TD, closed it down.

After-care for people released from places of detention remains an issue. Often, former prisoners are left to fend for themselves when finding accommodation, for a variety of reasons — hence the need for hostels-cum-rehabilitation centres. Locking children up with adult criminals is a recipe for disaster.

The problem is mentioned in our courts on a regular basis. I appeal to all parliamentarians to take note and to act accordingly.

Cllr Noel Collins

St Judes

Midleton

Co Cork