The main establishments dealing with juvenile justice both statutory and non-statutory for which my Department has responsibility are set out as follows:
Garda:
The Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme is an extra-statutory scheme to divert juveniles away from the judicial system, where possible. It provides for the cautioning and supervision of young offenders of 18 years or under as an alternative to prosecution. Under the scheme an attempt is made to see why the juvenile in question has offended and where a problem is identified the juvenile liaison officer refers the family to the appropriate statutory or voluntary agency with expertise in the matter. The JLO deal with the offender as an individual, a member of a family and a member of the community. Even where the actions of a child do not amount to a criminal offence parents/guardians regularly seek support and guidance from the Garda Síochána who will activate the scheme for the benefit of such children. There are currently in excess of 90 Garda personnel of various ranks directly involved in the operation of the Garda juvenile diversion programme on a daily basis.
Prisons:
Male offenders aged 16 and 17 (and up to the age of 21) may be committed on remand or to serve a period of detention to St. Patrick's Institution. Male offenders aged 17 years and over may be committed on remand or sentenced to imprisonment to the four adult committal prisons, Mountjoy, Cork, Limerick and Portlaoise Prisons. Sentenced male offenders aged 16 and 17 may be transferred from any of the four adult committal prisons and from St. Patrick's Institution to Wheatfield Place of Detention, Fort Mitchel and to Shanganagh Castle to serve their sentences. Shanganagh Castle is an open centre reserved exclusively for male offenders aged between 16 and 21 years.
Female offenders aged 17 years (and over) may be committed on remand or sentenced to imprisonment to Mountjoy and Limerick Women's Prisons. However, very few female offenders aged 17 years are committed to penal institutions each year.