An urgent review of the juvenile justice system is needed after figures released today showed almost half the teenagers released from the secure unit at Trinity House in Dublin ended up back in prison or detention within six months of their release, according to the Labour Party.
Commenting on the centre's step-down unit which aims to help young people with the transition from the secure unit to life in the community, Mr Costello said that while it appeared "to have had some success" more resources were needed to help those released "adjust back to life in the community".
He called for an expansion of the Probation and Welfare Service and the full implementation of the Children Act, 2001 which provides a range of non-custodial alternatives for dealing with young offenders.
"There are no simple solutions to the problem of juvenile crime and a range of measures will be required," Mr Costello said. "All of these will require further investment, but it will be a price worth paying if it reduces crime and ensures that young offenders are not needlessly dispatched to detention centres where they will simply learn how to become serious criminals," he added.