1. The Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS) First Biennial Conference Slieve Russell Hotel, March 2008 Michelle Shannon, National Director

2. The Irish Youth Justice Service  Welcome & Overview

3. Our Mission is… To create a safer society by working in partnership to reduce youth offending through appropriate interventions and linkages into services

4. IYJS Remit  To provide leadership in the Youth Justice System;  Develop a unified youth justice policy including crime prevention;  Devise and implement a national youth justice strategy with links to other child related strategies;  Manage all youth detention facilities;  Manage the implementation of the provisions of the Children Act 2001 in relation to community sanctions, restorative justice conferencing and diversion projects;  Establish and administer a national youth justice oversight group and local youth justice teams;  Link with other areas of Children’s Policy (OMC).

5. Children Act 2001 - General Principles  Diversion  Restorative Justice  Community Sanctions  Detention as a last resort

6. IYJS High Level Goals  HLG 1: To provide leadership and build confidence in the youth justice system.  HLG 2: To work to reduce offending by diverting young people from offending behaviour.  HLG 3: To promote the greater use of community sanctions and initiatives to deal with young people who offend.  HLG 4: To provide a safe and secure environment for detained children which will assist their early re-integration into the community.  HLG 5: To strengthen and develop information and data sources in the youth justice system to support more effective policies and services.

7. Vision for the future  Effective Programmes  Evidence Based Policies and Practice  Value for Money  Good Outcomes  Best Practices

8. Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS) Thank you. Michelle Shannon, National Director