Detention of children

If you are aged under 18, you cannot be sent to prison in Ireland under the Children Act 2001. Instead, children aged 10 to 17 can be sentenced by the courts to a period of detention in Oberstown Detention Campus.

Oberstown is the national children detention facility for children under the age of 18.

When a young person reaches the age of 18 they may be sent to an adult prison.

If a young person is remanded to custody they can also be sent to Oberstown Children Detention Campus while they await trial or sentence by the Courts.

Oberstown Children Detention Campus provides individualised care for young people referred by the courts.

Oberstown was established under the Children Act 2001, as amended.

The Children Detention Schools Unit is part of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE).  The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality appoints the Board of Management which is responsible for the overall management of the campus.

The rules for the care of children at Oberstown are set out in Oberstown‘s framework for care. This guides a young person’s experience from when they enter until they leave the campus. The five elements are:

• Care – the young person has an individual placement plan which allows for their voice to be heard at each stage.
• Education – all young people attend school at Oberstown which can include primary, secondary or vocational training.
• Health – all young people have access to healthcare services including mental health services on campus.
• Offending behaviour – the team works with the young person to help them understand their offending behaviour and to develop skills to avoid reoffending.
• Preparation for leaving – the team plans to prepare the young person to address their behaviour and successfully return to society.

Read about the rules at Oberstown.

At first only parents or guardians and immediate family members can visit a young person at Oberstown during visiting hours. Other visitors may be considered at a later time.

You must book your visit in advance. Adults need to bring a photo ID such as a driver’s licence or passport.

During your visit, you may be:

• Screened (you and the person you are visiting may sit either side of a transparent screen)
• Fully supervised
• Partly supervised

The campus manager or director decides how the visit is conducted.

You can check what you can bring to your visit to Oberstown and other details in the Visitor frequently asked questions for visitors.

If you have been a victim of crime, you can register as a victim with Oberstown.

As a registered victim, you can ask for information relating to the release, transfer or early discharge and periods of temporary leave the offender has during the Detention Order.

Oberstown’s Victim Liaison Service is voluntary and confidential.

Read more about the Victim Liaison Services at Oberstown.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) inspects Oberstown Children Detention Campus against the standards set out in the Oberstown Children’s Rights Policy Framework.

You can read the HIQA inspection reports for Oberstown.

You can find information for young people at Oberstown (pdf).

You can find more about supports for victims of crime and your rights as a victim of crime.

You can find more about treatment of child suspects in Garda custody.