Teenager in jail instead of house care in ‘vicious circle’

The mother of a young woman with complex special needs, who has been kept in Hydebank Wood Jail due to violent outbreaks and due to lack of suitable housing, states that she is in “vicious circle”.

Jennifer Roders said that his daughter Sophie’s behavior issues called the police as there was no other adequate help.

18 -year -old Sophie was granted bail in December, but had to live in Hydbank as a care house did not find a suitable place.

Sophie was never convicted of crime, and her mother is her advocate.

Jennifer said she felt that her daughter was going out of Hydebank on Thursday, but “perhaps by this time she is more than the possibility of coming back to Hydebank by next week.”

The Northern Trust said it did not put anyone in Hydebank as it was a “case for the judicial system” and said that the current pressures on relief care and residential placements in Northern Ireland have caused “important challenges”.

It said that it makes every effort to provide suitable housing for any young person, which requires health and social care services and often these cases are complicated.

Sophie was first placed at the Juvenile Justice Center (JJC) due to violent outbreaks, but the only option is Hydebank Wood Jail when she turned 18.

Sophie “is very difficult to regulate her feelings” and when she can’t express how she feels feeling “it creates a kind and then the behavior ends out”.

Her mother said that in her behavior “attack me to put holes in the walls, breaking the place, breaking the windows”.

Eamonn McNally is a Solicitor at the Children’s Law Center.

“There should never be justice response to the condition of healthcare,” he said.

“Health needs to plan for these youth in childhood and for infection in adult services,” he said.

“Never there should be such a situation, only one reaction was to bring the police to deal with health.”

Mr. Mackeli said what Sophie really needs “should be in the community in a suitable setting”.

“In Northern Ireland, there is not enough provisions regarding children with complex needs, which require specialist resident placements to meet their complex needs.”

“It’s not just there.”

Mr. Mackeli said: “This is disastrous for the young man, but it is also devastating for his parents”.

The Health Department stated that it continues to engage with all the trusts to “ensure the provision of suitable housing for people with complex needs” and recognizes that “Bispoke placement is a growing requirement”.

It states that the Mental Health is a priority for the Minister and remains “important challenges” in the mental health workforce, including psychiatry workforce and requires “additional money” to address issues.

Sophie has been arrested on these violent outbreaks, but each time the allegations against her have been removed due to her mental ability.

“Nearly four times he has been evaluated for his ability to be in the justice system and has not received any capacity each time, so PPS will postpone and postpone and postpone and then finally (allegations) Will decide, but until they do so, they have to live in Hydebank, “Jennifer said.

Since Sophie turned 18 in August 2024, she was arrested several times in Hydebank and detained.

“I have provided a bail address on four different occasions as the Northern Trust cannot provide him with a housing.

“She is a great girl when she is in the right frame of the brain. She is kind, she is funny – very quickly, will do anything for her family and sometimes I think I feel lost with all issues. ”

For the first time Sophie went to Hydebank, putting it in just an adult disability placement.

Sophie was shifted on her 18th birthday and police were called in a few days.

“He was arrested again and he (adult placement) had evicted him on the spot – so he did not have to go anywhere and he had to go to Hidebank … So now we are again back into this vicious cycle.”

A spokesperson for Ni Jail Service said that it works in the jail team with healthcare “South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, who are responsible for healthcare in jails” saying that “a whole society saying” It is necessary to remove the lack of approach to services, as well as support within community settings “.

Sophie has been accepted at an adult day center, but is now on a waiting list for employees.

Jennifer said, “Lack of services in Northern Ireland is shocking.”