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	THE recent announcement by Justice Minister&nbsp;<a href="http://searchtopics.independent.ie/topic/Alan_Shatter_(politician)" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(92, 139, 63); margin-bottom: 0px !important;">Alan Shatter</a>&nbsp;that he is closing St Patrick&#39;s Institution has received widespread support.</h2>
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	All 17-year-olds serving sentences in the institution will now be transferred to a dedicated unit in Wheatfield Prison on an interim arrangement before new facilities are opened in Oberstown in 2014. This decision was made following a recommendation from the Inspector of Prisons and a number of critical reports, including one produced by the Ombudsman for Children&#39;s Office in 2011.</p>
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	There is no doubt the decision to close St Patrick&#39;s Institution is the right one, albeit one that should have been taken years ago, and Mr Shatter should be congratulated.</p>
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	However, it is only part of the solution needed to address the needs of young people who commit offences.</p>
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	How we deal with young people in detention reflects society&#39;s attitude to young people who commit crimes, and to date the emphasis has been on punishment and retribution.</p>
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	We have a very poor track record when it comes to dealing with vulnerable young people, particularly those who engage in aggressive, anti-social behaviour.</p>
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	For example, it is estimated that there are currently more than 50 Irish children and adults with&nbsp;<a href="http://searchtopics.independent.ie/topic/Developmental_Disorders" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1em; color: rgb(92, 139, 63); margin-bottom: 0px !important;">intellectual disabilities</a>&nbsp;in specialised residential facilities in other countries because we do not have the services to meet their needs here in Ireland.</p>
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	The State is paying for their care and in most cases their parents, out of desperation, have agreed to them leaving the country; this can only be viewed as a national disgrace. These people, in the view of some, have been effectively deported.</p>
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	Similarly, the State has failed the young people in St Patrick&#39;s, where for many years, there has been a catalogue of continuing human rights violations, including excessive use of force and forced stripping.</p>
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	In her report, the Ombudsman for Children identified an ingrained dysfunctional culture within St Patrick&#39;s. The director of the Irish Prison Services identified the failure to change this culture as one of the many drivers behind closing it.</p>
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	But closure will not in itself address these dysfunctional attitudes and behaviours. This is a far greater challenge.</p>
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		The starting point needs to be a declaration of an agreed vision as to how society believes we should deal with young people who commit offences, and young people and adults with intellectual disabilities who are suffering from challenging mental health or behavioural difficulties. We need to commit to establishing the required services to the highest international standards. In this regard, the decision to move 17-year-olds to Wheatfield must be a temporary measure only and the development of a new child detention facility at Oberstown must continue on target.</p>
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		Of course, anybody who has been the victim of youth crime will want the young perpetrators punished and there is no doubt that a component of any management strategy should be punishment. But international best practice tells us that a rehabilitative approach, grounded in a strong human rights ethos, has the best chance of preventing reoffending, and giving these young people a second chance.</p>
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		Staff working with these young people in detention need to be carefully selected and adequately trained. They need to be provided with strong supervision and support and need to be valued for the incredibly demanding work they do. Fail in this and the same culture that existed in St Patrick&#39;s will arise. New facilities being developed need to contain comprehensive mental health, child protection and rehabilitation teams at its heart.</p>
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		Within society there is little sympathy for young people who commit offences or engage in violent behaviour, yet they represent one of our most vulnerable groups.</p>
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		While their behaviour cannot be excused and is rarely victimless, most of them come from very difficult family backgrounds where they have had little chance to live a functional life.</p>
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		Many have serious and long-term psychological and mental health difficulties. Building a comprehensive evidence-based, best practice youth justice and care system would not only have a significant impact on these young people&#39;s lives but would undoubtedly benefit society in general.</p>
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		We cannot and should not continue to fail these young people.</p>
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		<em style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1em;">Paul Gilligan is CEO St Patrick&#39;s mental health services and chairman of the Children&#39;s Rights Alliance</em><br />
		<a href="http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/paul-gilligan-closure-of-st-patricks-is-chance-to-do-right-by-vulnerable-young-29429631.html">http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/paul-gilligan-closure-of-st-patricks-is-chance-to-do-right-by-vulnerable-young-29429631.html</a></p>
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