An Irish evidence informed response to reducing the influence of criminal networks on children

The Greentown Programme: an Irish evidence informed response to reducing the influence of criminal networks on children

The original Greentown study, undertaken by Dr Sean Redmond, provides evidence for the existence of criminal networks in Ireland and their use of children in criminal enterprise. Two additional case studies have now been conducted to explore the generalisability of these findings. A national survey of Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers was also undertaken. From this, it is estimated that up to 1,000 children in the state may be engaged in serious crime with criminal networks. A key policy response was to design a bespoke programme to address the issues as identified by the Greentown study. To date, this has involved the collaboration of international and national experts from relevant areas and disciplines in a deliberative process of programme design. This collaboration has resulted in the design and stress testing of a new intervention capable of addressing this complex problem of children caught up in criminal networks. This process also provided for subsequent implementation consultations with a membership biased more towards practice and community representation. The purpose of this part of the deliberative process was to reality-test the programme assumptions using the tacit knowledge of these implementation groups before the programme will be piloted. This presentation will summarise the background and illustrate the design process which followed a deliberate programme-building sequence intended to respond to complex policy issues.

Presented by: Dr Sean Redmond, Eoin O Meara Daly

Prof. Sean Redmond Biography

Dr Sean Redmond, Adjunct Professor of Youth Justice, is seconded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) to the School of Law, University of Limerick (UL) where he is leading a joint DCYA/UL project to develop the evidence base to improve youth crime policy decision-making in Ireland (REPPP). Prior to this Sean worked in the Research and Evaluation Unit of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs with the lead responsibility for evaluation. Over the last 25 years Sean has held positions as; Head of Young Offender Programmes Irish Youth Justice Service; Assistant Director of Children's Services, Barnardos; Director PACE prisoners' resettlement service. Prior to this Sean held positions in management and practice in the youth justice system in the United Kingdom

Eoin O Meara Daly Biography

Eoin is a Research Fellow in Youth Justice on the Research Evidence into Policy Practice and Programmes Project (REPPP) in the School of Law, University of Limerick. Eoin has been lead researcher on the Greentown Replication study, Bluetown and the Greentown Programme Design initiative. Eoin lectures on the Youth Crime Module in the University, a cross-disciplinary offering at MA level that blends legal\policy\social science perspectives on youth crime and offers the distinctive element of dealing with real world issues. Eoin was previously a manager and front line worker in youth justice, coordinating a number of initiatives and services for young offenders in Limerick over a 10-year period. Eoin is also a PHD scholarship awardee and candidate in the School of Law, UL.