Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 3

Written Answers. - Prisoner Employment.

Seymour Crawford

Question:

70 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Justice the long term plans, if any, she has to provide for full and active employment for prisoners where useful skills could be learned by prisoners to help them get employment on release. [2042/94]

Liz O'Donnell

Question:

179 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Justice, in view of the fact that 80 per cent of the prisoners in Mountjoy opt for idleness and the fact that there is no incentive for them to work, the plans, if any, she has to introduce incentives for prisoners taking up work and education options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2185/94]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 70 and 179 together.

In my policy document The Management of Offenders — A Five Year Plan which I published last June I outlined in Chapters 9 and 10 my plans for the further development of education and work-training in the prisons. In regard to education the main elements are a continued emphasis on the delivery of a quality education service, with extra spaces provided in the context of the ongoing renovation programme, a review of curricula with special emphasis on the needs of particularly disadvantaged prisoners and those with personal problems such as alcoholism or drug dependency and the greater involvement of colleges in prison education.

In regard to work-training the main elements include an expansion by some 500 of the number of work places currently available with a particular emphasis on providing suitable work for drug abusers. They also include an improvement in the system of assessment and selection of offenders for particular work activities. In addition, there will be a review, where necessary, of existing staffing structures in order to maintain satisfactory standards and evaluation of the programme on an ongoing basis in order to ensure that the various goals and objectives are being met and that realistic standards are being achieved.

Both education and work-training are components of the strategy for positive sentence management which is a key feature of my plans. The incentive for prisoners to participate in education and work-training will be the opportunity they provide for self-development and participation in programmes which may lead to planned and structured early release under supervision.