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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 27 May 1987

Vol. 372 No. 13

Written Answers. - Prison Educational Facilities

80.

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.

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).

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