The Bail Supervision Scheme (BSS) operated by Extern was commended at this year’s International Corrections & Prisons Association (ICPA) Conference.

The ICPA award notes a “[s]pecial recognition by the Association, its members and indeed the wider correctional community for efforts and initiatives within the correctional sphere.”

In 2016, a social justice charity Extern was commissioned to provide a pilot BSS for young people attending the Children Court (Court 55) in Smithfield, Dublin.

Sustainable change

The scheme provides intensive support to facilitate sustainable change in behaviour including adherence with bail conditions, reduced re-offending and encourages engagement in pro-social activities.

One of its primary aims is to reduce the number of young people who are detained in custody while awaiting a court decision. 

BSS is targeted at young people who may otherwise have to be detained in Oberstown detention centre in Lusk, Co Dublin.

Evaluated

The BSS has recently been evaluated by the University of Limerick and shows a marked reduction in re-offending and that the majority of the young people enrolled attracted a non-custodial option at their sentencing hearings.

There was also a high return to education and/or training.