asked the Minister for Justice the educational facilities available in Mountjoy jail, St. Patrick's Institution, the women's prison, the training unit, Arbour Hill prison, Shelton Abbey, Shanganagh Castle, Loughan House, Cork prison, Spike Island and Limerick prison.
Written Answers. - Prison Educational Facilities
80.
Education in places of custody is provided largely by local vocational education committees. A tabular statement is attached which sets out details of the numbers of VEC teaching staff and the courses available in the institutions referred to by the Deputy.
Other agencies which are also involved include the Open University (through which offenders can study up to degree level), the Sisters of Charity, the Arts Council and University College, Cork. In addition, in some of the institutions prison staff run physical education sessions.
The nature of the accommodation available for education within the prison system varies from institution to institution. There are purpose-built education facilities in Cork prison, St. Patrick's Institution, Shanganagh Castle, the training unit and Arbour Hill prison. It is expected that renovated and enlarged accommodation for education services will be made available at Loughan House and Limerick prison this year. In addition, plans have been drawn up to replace a pre-fabricated building at Mountjoy women's prison with a larger, more suitable facility in the near future.
Information on education services in the prison is contained in the annual reports on prisons and places of detention.
Following is the statement:
|
Institution |
No. of Teachers |
Subjects |
|
Mountjoy Prison (Male) |
11 full time |
Basic Literacy |
|
4 part time |
Maths |
|
|
Computer Education |
||
|
French |
||
|
Irish |
||
|
Spanish |
||
|
English |
||
|
History |
||
|
Geography |
||
|
Home Economics |
||
|
Crafts |
||
|
Health Education |
||
|
Creative Writing |
||
|
Drama |
||
|
Human Biology |
||
|
Economics |
||
|
Music |
||
|
Mechanical Drawing |
||
|
St. Patricks Institution |
11 full time* |
Music |
|
6 part time* |
Religion |
|
|
Yoga |
||
|
Maths |
||
|
Computer Education |
||
|
Home Economics |
||
|
Arts and Crafts |
||
|
Basic English |
||
|
Advanced & Exam English |
||
|
French |
||
|
History |
||
|
Literacy |
||
|
Numeracy |
||
|
Metal Work |
||
|
Drama |
||
|
Media Studies |
||
|
Video Making |
||
|
Mountjoy Prison (Female) |
3 part time* |
Arts and Crafts |
|
English |
||
|
Basic English |
||
|
Physical Education |
||
|
Maths |
||
|
Biology |
||
|
Yoga |
||
|
Drama |
||
|
Literacy |
||
|
Basic Education |
||
|
Training Unit |
4 full time |
Literacy |
|
14 part time |
Basic Education (Literacy Skills) |
|
|
Career Start |
||
|
Exam English |
||
|
Basic Maths |
||
|
History |
||
|
Sex Education |
||
|
Art |
||
|
Business Studies |
||
|
Pre-employment Skills |
||
|
Music |
||
|
Arbour Hill prison |
5 full time |
Art |
|
14 part time |
Basic Studies |
|
|
Child Development |
||
|
Cookery |
||
|
Crafts |
||
|
Home Economics |
||
|
Creative Writing |
||
|
Drama |
||
|
English |
||
|
Environmental Studies |
||
|
Evolution |
||
|
French |
||
|
Physical Education |
||
|
German |
||
|
Guitar |
||
|
Music Theory |
||
|
Keyboard |
||
|
History |
||
|
Irish |
||
|
Maths (Including Computer Studies) |
||
|
Pottery |
||
|
Spanish |
||
|
Video Production Projects |
||
|
(e.g. Producing Magazines) |
||
|
Summer Projects (e.g. Writers Workshops) |
||
|
Shelton Abbey |
6 part time |
Art |
|
History |
||
|
English and Literacy |
||
|
Cooking |
||
|
Drama |
||
|
Cane-work |
||
|
Shanganagh Castle |
7 full time |
Physical Education |
|
2 part time |
Woodwork |
|
|
Maths |
||
|
Computer Training |
||
|
English |
||
|
History |
||
|
Geography |
||
|
Art |
||
|
Loughan House |
9 full time |
Physical Education |
|
Woodwork |
||
|
Home Economics |
||
|
Art |
||
|
Literacy |
||
|
Drama |
||
|
History |
||
|
Creative Writing |
||
|
Maths |
||
|
Science |
||
|
Music |
||
|
Cork |
8 full time |
History |
|
3 part time |
English |
|
|
Basic English |
||
|
Music |
||
|
Sociology |
||
|
Computer Studies |
||
|
Woodwork |
||
|
Art |
||
|
Physical Education |
||
|
Home Economics |
||
|
Maths |
||
|
Human Biology |
||
|
Fort Mitchel |
5 part time |
Woodwork |
|
Arts and Crafts |
||
|
Literacy |
||
|
Basic Literacy (Remedial) |
||
|
Irish |
||
|
English |
||
|
Maths |
||
|
Limerick prison |
1 full time |
Basic Maths |
|
11 part time |
Art |
|
|
Drama |
||
|
Music |
||
|
Health Care |
||
|
Basic English |
||
|
History |
||
|
English |
||
|
Irish |
||
|
Creative Writing |
* Some of the teachers assigned to St. Patrick's Institution also do some teaching at Mountjoy female prison.
81.
asked the Minister for Justice if the education service in prisons and other places of detention is being used for the purpose of general drug education, and in particular, for information on AIDS, given that a large proportion of offenders are in prison for drug offences; and if not, the plans, if any, he has to incorporate such information into the education service.
The education service in the prisons is involved in providing information to offenders about drug abuse and AIDS.
These issues often arise in the context of the social education element of home economics classes and are also dealt with on courses on health education which have become increasingly common in the institutions in recent years. Occasionally, teachers also put on short courses on these issues. Special material on AIDS has been developed by prison teachers geared to those with literacy problems and prison librarians have also disseminated information on the topic. In addition, a teacher at Mountjoy prison, who was sponsored by my Department to attend the full time diploma in addiction studies course at TCD, is at present running a pilot course at the prison dealing with drug addiction.
This, of course, is an area which needs to be kept under constant review and extensive arrangements are in place to help equip prison teachers to deal with these issues. The Deputy will appreciate that providing information on these issues is not a matter for prison teachers alone. For example, the probation and welfare service also have a role to play and, in the separation units at Mountjoy and St. Patrick's where offenders identified as HIV positive are accommodated, multi-disciplinary teams are in place (part of whose function it is to provide information to offenders).