A member of the of the prison visiting committee for St Patrick’s Juvenille Detetion Centre has today criticised the justice system for allowing the detention of two 14-year-old boys sent there on remand.
Progressive Democrat County Councillor, Mr Hugh Lynn, on a routine inspection yesterday discovered the two boys were being detained at St Patrick’s which is designated for the detention of 16-to-21-year-old youths.
Mr Lynn told ireland.comthat St Patrick's was a draconian and dickensian institute and was not suitable for anyone "let alone children". "There is no provision for the detention of younger children at St Patrick's, and serious questions need to be answered," he said.
"There needs to be an urgent review of all the facilities for child and juvenille offenders, to ensure that teenagers do not end up in a place that even hardened criminals would find it difficult to survive in, he added."
The two boys had been arrested under the direction of a High Court Judge and as there were no spaces left at Lusk and Overstown - which can accommodate juvenille’s of that age - they were sent to St Patrick’s. One boy is being held on remand until May 8th, while the other will have to be held at least till May 15th when their cases come before the courts.
Mr Lynn said: "The prison staff at St Patrick’s are trained to deal with prisoners, not with children." He added that while there were some decent prisoners in St Patrick’s, others who were being detained there were "hardened criminals."
The councillor has written to both the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Education and will be giving a full report to his senior party colleagues in Government.