Youth Justice in Crisis | Belfast News

A deadly crash on the M9 involving five teens has ignited national alarm over youth crime, prompting the Justice Minister to call for a radical overhaul of youth justice. He admits current programs fail a small but dangerous group—many of whom were pushed off track by pandemic school closures, losing critical support systems. While public pressure demands tougher punishments, the minister insists detention remains a last resort, but acknowledges it’s sometimes unavoidable. The new strategy will explore expanded funding, stricter education mandates, and stronger use of existing tools like fines and parental orders—with detention as a final, targeted option—to break cycles of harm and hold young offenders accountable without locking them into a prison pipeline.

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