asked the Minister for Justice if it is the Government's intention to proceed with the proposed programme of intensive supervision on parole or release to the community of young people between the ages of 16 and 21, who are now or who may be in the future in custody; and if he will make a full statement with regard to the progress of this scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Intensive Supervision Scheme .
1.
: The answer to the first part of the question is "yes".
The scheme will be an extension of the existing probation and welfare service. Its distinctive feature will be the small number of offenders which each welfare officer will have to supervise at any one time.
The scheme will include offenders in the prisons and places of detention considered suitable for release before the normal date of expiration of their sentences and likely to benefit from close supervision in the community. Initially those involved will be offenders in the 16 to 21 age group.
Authority has been obtained by my Department for the recruitment of an additional 27 welfare officers and three senior welfare officers for the purpose of servicing the scheme. Furthermore, plans are advanced for the provision of a day centre at Marlboro Place, Dublin. This centre, in addition to being a point of contact between the welfare service and the offenders, will provide a setting for individual and group counselling and will be a base for work-training and education programmes for the offenders.
If the welfare officer posts can be filled from competitions being held this year, the scheme could be in operation before the year is out. The scheme will to some extent be experimental but I have hopes that it will achieve worth-while results in keeping a substantial number of persons from relapsing into crime. I am afraid, however, that it would be foolish to be unduly optimistic about this or any other scheme. Moreover, I think it right to say that only a proportion of offenders could be considered as suitable for this kind of scheme and, accordingly, it would not be realistic to regard this scheme as a first step towards the closing down of any prison or place of detention.
: Would it be reasonable to assume that the welfare officers, when appointed, would benefit very possibly from an enlarged back-up service?
: I would hope so, yes.
: Is it proposed in this general area to reconstitute the committee on alternative modes of imprisonment?
: I cannot say either "yes" or "no" to that at the moment. I would be quite prepared to consider it and I will keep the Deputy informed as to what is happening.
: What type of qualifications will these officers have? Will they have training before they are taken on? Will they have to have special qualifications for the job or will they be trained subsequently?
: I would have to ask the Deputy's indulgence here to send him the requirements of the particular persons who apply for these posts.