Phil Hogan
Question:17 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Justice the plans, if any, she has to introduce structured pre-release programmes, particularly for long term offenders.
Written Answers. - Pre-Release Programmes.
There are already arrangements in place for structured pre-release programmes, particularly for long term offenders who qualify for review by the sentence review group established in 1989. The group may review offenders when they have served seven years of their sentences. Recommendations by the group for early releases are normally accompanied by details of the pre-release programme to be followed in each case. Many shorter-term offenders may also in normal course have pre-release programmes put in place and I will shortly be publishing a major policy document/five year plan for the prison system which will include new arrangements to facilitate extensive development of such structured pre-release programming in the future.