Youth Justice Agency

What Youth Justice Agency does

The Youth Justice Agency (YJA) is a statutory body within the Northern Ireland Executive, operating under the governance of the Department of Justice Northern Ireland and headquartered in Belfast with approximately 29 recorded employees. It delivers services to children aged 10 to 17 who are involved in, or at risk of, offending behaviour, and to their families. Its remit sits inside the wider Northern Ireland youth justice system, which also comprises the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Public Prosecution Service, the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, and the Northern Ireland Prison Service.

The Agency's service portfolio consists of youth justice interventions and rehabilitation programmes, restorative justice services designed to repair harm caused by crime as an alternative to traditional criminal justice disposals, and court support services that guide children and families before, during and after youth court appearances. Its work is governed by the Strategic Framework for Youth Justice, published in 2022, which sets policy and operational delivery direction and is tracked through annual progress reports, alongside the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility framework, which sets criminal responsibility in Northern Ireland at age 10. Related Department of Justice services in the same digital estate include AccessNI criminal history disclosure, which processed almost 190,000 disclosure applications in financial year 2025/2026. There is no evidence of proprietary technology, an API, mobile applications, or integrations in the source material.

The Agency has no commercial business model. Services are publicly funded through Northern Ireland Executive budget allocations to the Department of Justice; no pricing model, revenue model, funding rounds, subsidiaries, or external shareholders are disclosed. Distribution is entirely through statutory channels — youth courts, PSNI referral, prosecution decisions by the Public Prosecution Service, and community-based restorative justice programmes — and outreach runs through Department of Justice publications, public consultations and official news releases. Scale is measured in caseload rather than revenue: 28,188 offences were dealt with by conviction or diversion in Northern Ireland in 2024-25, of which 7,409 (26.3%) were first offences and 599 first-time entrants (8.1%) were aged 10 to 17.

Name

Youth Justice Agency

Legal name

Youth Justice Agency

Website

https://youthjusticeagencyni.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Northern Ireland statutory body under the Department of Justice delivering youth justice interventions, restorative justice and youth court support to children aged 10-17 involved in offending behaviour and their families, publicly funded via Executive budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Justice Services

NAICS

Parole Offices and Probation Offices (922150), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Child and Youth Services (62411)

akta.pro primary industry

Juvenile Justice System (Courts & Detention) (BPAIAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alternative Dispute Resolution & Restorative Justice Programs (BPAIAFAL), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Youth justice services
• Restorative justice
• Youth court support
• Juvenile rehabilitation
• Statutory youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Youth Justice Agency (YJA) is a statutory body within Northern Ireland's Department of Justice that delivers youth justice services to children aged 10-17 involved in offending behaviour. It provides court support and guidance for children and families navigating youth court proceedings, restorative justice programmes that address and repair harm caused by crime, diversionary interventions, and rehabilitation services, operating under the Strategic Framework for Youth Justice (2022) and Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility legislation.

Product overview

The Youth Justice Agency (YJA) operates as part of the Department of Justice Northern Ireland, providing a range of services for children involved in the justice system. The agency delivers youth justice services including intervention and rehabilitation programs, restorative justice initiatives that address harm caused by crime, and court support services for children and families. Related government justice services include AccessNI criminal record checks, legal aid schemes, and court and tribunal services. The YJA operates within the broader Strategic Framework for Youth Justice which guides policy and operational delivery across the criminal justice system that interacts with children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Justice Services

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2024-25, 8.1% (599) of first-time entrants were aged 10-17, with 85.6% of this age group receiving diversion for first offences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSNI is the initial point of contact for children in the youth justice system, handling arrests, cautions, and preliminary assessments. They work with the Youth Justice Agency throughout the criminal justice process for children involved in offending behaviour.
• Public Prosecution ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakes prosecution decisions regarding youth offences and works with the youth justice system to determine appropriate responses to offending behaviour by children.
• Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates youth courts that handle cases involving children, providing the judicial framework within which the Youth Justice Agency delivers services to children and families.
• Northern Ireland Prison ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages young offenders who receive custodial sentences, working with the broader youth justice framework to provide rehabilitation and prepare individuals for return to community.
• Belfast Islamic CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization working with the Justice Minister on hate crime support services and protection of minority ethnic communities, providing advocacy and support services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Centre for Justice Innovation: A UK-based charity that works with criminal justice agencies, including youth justice, to design and test reform ideas. Comparable as a thematic peer shaping youth justice innovation and restorative practice, but operates as a partner/advocate rather than a service provider.
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): A US federal office within the Department of Justice that provides national leadership, funding, and research on juvenile justice. Comparable as a federal-level counterpart that shapes youth justice policy, but functions primarily as a grantmaking and research body rather than a direct service provider.
• Howard League for Penal Reform: A UK charity that campaigns for reform of the penal system with a strong focus on children's experience of the justice system. Comparable as an influential stakeholder in UK youth justice policy debates, though it operates as an advocacy NGO rather than a delivery body.

Regional players

• Missouri Division of Youth Services: A US state-level agency operating residential and community-based programs for court-involved youth. Comparable in mission to rehabilitate and supervise young offenders and reduce recidivism, though operating under a different legal framework.
• Youth Justice Service — Department of Justice (Republic of Ireland): Ireland's national youth justice function within the Department of Justice, delivering diversion, restorative justice and community-based responses for children in conflict with the law. Operates in a separate jurisdiction but with a directly comparable remit and approach.
• Youth Justice NSW — Department of Communities and Justice: The New South Wales agency that delivers youth justice services including custodial and community-based supervision and rehabilitation programs. Comparable in operational scope (court support, diversion, rehabilitation) across a single state jurisdiction.
• Department of Youth Justice (Queensland, Australia): A state-level statutory agency in Queensland responsible for supervising and rehabilitating young people in the justice system. Comparable in mandate (youth detention, community-based supervision, diversion) but operating in a different national jurisdiction.

Direct peers

• Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS): A UK statutory body that represents children's interests in family court proceedings and provides advice, support and safeguarding services. Highly comparable to the YJA's court support and family-facing services for children navigating legal processes.
• Youth Justice Board for England and Wales: The statutory body that oversees the youth justice system in England and Wales. It is the closest functional counterpart to the Youth Justice Agency, advising ministers, setting standards, and monitoring youth justice services for children aged 10-17.
• Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA): Scotland's national body that operates the Children's Reporter System, making decisions on children referred on offence and welfare grounds. It is a regional UK peer performing a comparable gatekeeping and child-focused justice function.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Justice_NI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DepartmentofJusticeNI
• Facebookfacebook.com/DepartmentofJusticeNI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-justice-agency
• Instagraminstagram.com/departmentofjusticeni

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth Justice Agency