The Bail Supervision Scheme has been extended as an alternative to detention for young people, following a tender process in January this year.

The scheme currently runs in Dublin and is expected to extend to Cork and Limerick later this year.

It has been formally evaluated by youth-justice researchers at the University of Limerick, who have found that it reduces offending behaviour, improves pro-social behaviours, and drives down the dependence on remand in custody. 

Social justice charity Extern has been contracted to deliver services as part of the scheme. 

Behaviour

It will use multi-systemic therapy (MST), an evidence-based approach that seeks to understand the factors that contribute to the young person’s behaviour, and to assist in the compliance with bail conditions, as the main intervention.

Youths at risk of being denied bail or are remanded to detention, are likely to be involved in prolific offending patterns, but are also very vulnerable and probably experiencing chaotic living situations.

If a young person meets the criteria for consideration as part of the Bail Supervision Scheme, the court may grant bail with strict conditions, having received assurance that the young person and/or his or her family will work with the scheme.

Re-engagement

The evaluation found that re-engagement in education and training programmes in particular was high for young people who participated in the scheme, especially given that all of them had been out of education for a long period of time prior to referral to the scheme.