childcare-50years
childcare-50years
childcare-50years
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5<br />
The decline in numbers of young people receiving custodial sentences<br />
has resulted in the closure of some of the existing secure<br />
accommodation. Lisnevin Juvenile Justice Centre, which is located in<br />
premises built on the design of a category C prison, has long been<br />
considered unsuitable for children. Following a public consultation,<br />
the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has recently determined that the<br />
two remaining juvenile justice centres, which were housed in the<br />
former training schools at Bangor and Millisle, are to be replaced by<br />
a single, purpose built, juvenile justice centre. The principle objectives<br />
of the new centre will be to challenge and reduce offending<br />
behaviour through the provision of programmes to address such<br />
behaviour, and to keep juvenile offenders in a safe and secure<br />
environment. It will also be an objective of the new centre to seek to<br />
assist the young people who are sent there to prepare constructively<br />
for their return to the community.<br />
With the introduction of the Children and Young Persons Act<br />
(Northern Ireland) 1968 the age of criminal responsibility was raised<br />
to 10 where it has since remained. The recent review of the criminal<br />
justice system in Northern Ireland which was provided for in the<br />
Belfast Agreement considered whether there should be any change<br />
in the age of criminal responsibility. It concluded that the age of<br />
criminal responsibility should remain at 10 years of age. However, it<br />
also recommended that children aged between 10 - 13 inclusively,<br />
who are found guilty of criminal offences and who require to be held<br />
in custody, should not be sent to juvenile justice centres, but that<br />
their accommodation needs should be provided for by the secure care<br />
system.<br />
Trends in juvenile offending since 1950<br />
It is difficult to establish with any degree of accuracy the amount of<br />
crime committed by juveniles as a significant proportion of all crime<br />
is not reported to the police and not all the crime that is reported is<br />
cleared up. Therefore, official police crime statistics do not give an<br />
accurate picture of the extent of juvenile crime, although they<br />
may give some indication of trends.<br />
50 YEARS OF CHILD CARE IN NORTHERN IRELAND<br />
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