Project
There are 105 Garda Youth & Diversion Projects (GYDP) based in communities across Ireland. 16 of these projects are now engaged in an evidence informed Action Research Project led by REPPP on behalf of the Dept of Justice and Equality (DJE). This project uses the Systematic Evidence Review as a starting point for potential reform and involves co-designing with practitioners, new guidance on relationship-building to improve the effectiveness of ‘on the ground’ practice.
This project plans to capacity build with practitioners to support their own evaluation of performance while also focusing on the important and unique situation of combining practice wisdom with scientific design to create something new and useful for other practitioners.
The three researchers are working directly with 16 Garda Youth Diversion Project case study sites. In each of the 16 participating GYDP's, managers, Youth Justice Workers (YJW's), and at some sites, Juvenile Liaison Officers (JLO's) are collaborating to participate in the ARP together, and contributing to the ARP in various ways. In addition to this, 15 YJW's from 12 of the participating GYDP's will be completing a Masters in Human Rights in Criminal Justice, and will become active researchers for the ARP on their sites.
As an added innovation, DJE and the School of Law in UL has arranged bursaries for 16 youth justice professionals to undertake a part-time Masters in Human Rights and Criminal Justice. The dissertation element for the programme will involve each student undertaking a process evaluation of the reform effort in their local project using a common methodology in different case study sites. This will be very valuable in terms of adding to the body of governance knowledge on programme reform but will also see a direct impact on outcomes for young people engaged in criminality
Research
We estimate that 60-70 percent of professional time (or up to €8million) spent in programmes across Ireland targeting youth in trouble with the law, relates to building professional relationships with young people. The objective of this relationship is to bring about positive change and encourage/motivate young people towards pro-social trajectories. The youth professional is therefore a key change agent, co-producing government policy with the young person. However, ‘relationship’ is a very elusive term meaning that under the same cover, a young person in one part of Ireland may get a very productive relationship, in another part, less productive. Our three researchers and 16 GYDP sites are working together to look at what constitutes effective relationships between youth justice practitioners and young people who come in contact with the law in Ireland.
We are carrying out action research with Garda Youth Diversion Projects for two main reasons: to contribute to academic knowledge, and to contribute to practice wisdom. The Action Research Project gives us the opportunity to better understand and build on current GYDP practice wisdom regarding the use of effective relationships, and gathering evidence as to what works for practitioners and young people. Our hope is that with this information, together we can create something for youth justice workers to use that supports and enhances their practice, and will improve outcomes for the young people they work with.
The research is overseen and monitored by funders/ stakeholders – A Garda Youth Diversion Project advisory group, and the Department of Justice and Equality. All published reports produced in the study will be peer reviewed and assessed – by the School of Law, stakeholder departments and agencies.