What Happens to Young Offenders in Bermuda

What Happens to Young Offenders in Bermuda?

Youth crime has the potential to ruin the offender’s life, as well as the victim’s. With this in mind, the way that courts handle youth offences differs greatly to the adult justice system. Here are the key principles applied to young offenders in Bermuda…

Age boundaries

A young offender is anyone under the age of 18. Most children will be treated as a young offender, apart from particularly serious circumstances.

Anyone under 16 is classed as a ‘juvenile offender’. The age of criminal responsibility in Bermuda is 8, so anyone younger than this is considered unable to commit a criminal offence and cannot be tried as a criminal. This is usually applied up to the age of 14, so long as there is no proof that they knew their crime was wrong.

How are young offenders treated differently to adults?

Investigating youth crime focuses heavily on the circumstances leading to the offence. Bermudan law aims to avoid imprisoning children unless absolutely necessary – for example, if murder or another violent crime has occurred. The focus is on rehabilitation and protection over punishment.

Rehabilitation

Counselling and mentoring are commonly mandated for young offenders. This aims to address the root cause of their criminality and teach them a better way to live.

One sentence for young offenders in Bermuda is training school. Children over 15 can be sent to specialist schools that aim to educate, train and reform them into more positive behaviour patterns.

Vocational training is another way that young offenders can be rehabilitated. By giving them skills to work a trade, young people are encouraged to integrate with society and use their energy in rewarding ways.

Restorative justice

To help young offenders understand the impact of their actions, they are often required to make amends. This could be apologising to victims, repairing damage or working to pay reparations. Community service is another common sentence, allowing them to interact with the community in productive ways.

Probation

To avoid imprisoning children, they are often placed on probation instead. This allows them to remain in society while being monitored, giving them a second chance to avoid a lifetime of crime. Often, this is enough to prevent further offences.

Protection

Sometimes, children committing crimes is a sign of something serious at home. Family courts examine the home lives of young offenders, and if they find that a child is at risk, they may remove them.

Parents aren’t always to blame for the misbehaviour of their kids, but sometimes youth crime is a sign of neglect or abuse. In some cases, parents are required to undergo training, as well as the offender themselves.

Report crime anonymously

No matter the age of the perpetrator, reporting crime keeps communities safe. Crime Stoppers Bermuda has a phone line and online form that allow you to report crime without sharing your identity. Any information you give us is passed to the police, allowing them to tackle crime without tracing the source to you.

Phone 800-8477 or use our online form to report anonymously.

Crime Stoppers Bermuda 800-8477

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About Crime Stoppers Bermuda

We are a registered Bermuda charity (No. 410) helping law enforcement to locate criminals and help solve crimes. We have an anonymous 24-hour Hotline phone number, 800-8477 (TIPS), that people can call to pass on information about crime; alternatively people can send us information anonymously via our Anonymous Online Form. You don’t have to give your name or any of your personal details. We do not trace calls or track IP addresses.

Crime Stoppers Bermuda, P.O. Box HM 2711, Hamilton HM LX.

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