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The Youth Justice Agency has insisted children in custody have “the best care available” as figures show over 240 incidents of self-harming over five years in the north’s detention centre for young people.
The data shows the number of self-harm “occasions” reported at Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre in Co Down, which houses children aged between 10 and 17 who have received a custodial sentence or are held on remand.
Between 2020 and 2025, there was a total of 242 self-harm incidents at the facility in Bangor, which can house up to 48 children, both male and female.
The figures were revealed by justice minister Naomi Long in response to a written Assembly question from DUP Strangford MLA Michelle McIlveen.
They have emerged following recent calls to raise the age of criminal responsibility in Northern Ireland from 10 to 16.
2021/22 saw the most incidents in a 12-month period with 80, while the following year saw the incident figure fall to 17.
Woodlands is run by the Department of Justice’s Youth Justice Agency, and a spokesperson told the Irish News that “every instance of self-harm that occurs in Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre is recorded, including relatively minor incidents”.
“Unfortunately, self-harm in secure establishments that care for the most vulnerable children does occur. Few children do self-harm but sadly those that do tend to do so often. 242 incidents refers to ‘occasions’ rather than individual children.
“Each child has a Case Management Team providing wrap around support and care planning.”
They said in-reach services provided through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, include psychiatry and psychology input as well as a health care team providing “physical and emotional support”.
“All work together using a multi-disciplinary model to ensure vulnerable and complex children have the best care available,” they added.
Calls to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility have gained traction in recent weeks thanks to the ‘Ten is Too Young Coalition’, which includes the Children’s Law Centre and and north’s Commissioner for Children and Young People.
The coalition backs an amendment to the Justice Bill “to raise the age, with no exceptions, as a necessary, proportionate and principled reform to our justice system”.
