NCJ Number
184436
Journal
Youth and Society Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Dated: September 2000 Pages: 60-80
Date Published
September 2000
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article examines juvenile delinquency and the juvenile justice system in Northern Ireland, with emphasis on recent developments in practice and legislation and obstacles and opportunities that are emerging in a time of change, especially following the Good Friday Agreement.
Abstract
Levels of reported crime and victimization in Northern Ireland have been consistently much lower than those in the United States or in England and Wales. However, self-report studies and other data confirm both that delinquent behavior is widespread, although the majority of delinquent acts are relatively minor. Special juvenile courts deal with the vast majority of juveniles. Police are usually the first point of contact for juveniles in the justice process and have four broad options: (1) referral to the Police Juvenile Liaison Scheme, (2) informal warning and advice, (3) formal caution, and (4) processing the juvenile for prosecution in the courts. Courts in Northern Ireland handled proceedings for 1,180 juvenile in 1996. The most common disposition was community disposition, followed by conditional discharge and training school orders or other custodial sentences. One hundred forty-one of the 186 juvenile custodial sentences in 1996 were Training School Orders, which resulted in an average period of custody of about 12 months. The operation of training schools and the way juveniles have been detained in custody has involved many problems. However, one of the great strengths of Northern Ireland’s system has been its ability to deal effectively with most juvenile offending at an early stage using less formal and cumbersome procedures. Recent legislative developments should help address some of the obvious problems in the handling of juveniles. Figures, tables, notes, and 16 references (Author abstract modified)