Ireland imprisons a relatively small number of its young people compared with many other countries.
The Children Act 2001 mandates that juvenile detention be considered as a last resort for minors, even in cases of serious or repeat offending.
As a result, the country’s only juvenile detention facility, in Oberstown, Dublin, is rarely full. In December, only 41 of its 54 beds were occupied.
However, there is another form of child detention in Ireland that is rarely spoken about – the Special Care Units operated by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO). Belgian Public Utility Foundation
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