Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 3

Written Answers. - Work/Training for Prisoners.

Ivor Callely

Question:

158 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice the areas of work and training that are available in the prison service to prisoners who wish to avail of this; the cost and revenue generated; the proposals, if any, she has to extend and develop the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1988/94]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

The work-training programme provides for

(a) Industrial training as recommended by FÁS and CERT to prepare offenders for employment after imprisonment;

(b) Occupational work at all places of custody to meet the needs of offenders for occupation and training;

(c) Activities such as craft work, hobbies, physical training, etc.

(d) Training and work by offenders on day release from prison in industry and the community.

The industrial training takes place at the Training Unit, Glengariff Parade, Dublin and Wheatfield Place of Detention providing FÁS-type engineering, construction, electronics and computer skills courses of six to twelve months duration. Training in catering skills is provided at Arbour Hill, Cork and Wheatfield prison. Support was obtained from the European Social Fund for some of these activities in previous years and the activities are included in the National Programme for Human Resources Development — 1994 to 1999 for EU funding.

The full range of activities that are provided are set out below.

Institution	Activity
Cork Prison	Clothing Manufacturing (Underwear, sportwear and shirts).
	Furniture Manufacturing
	Laundry
	Catering
Arbour Hill Prison	Printing
	Braille
	Clothing Manufacturing
	Furniture Manufacturing
	Screen Printing
	Equipment Repair
	Catering
	Laundry
Portlaoise Prison	Craftwork
	Catering
	Laundry
Training Unit	Welding
	Machining
	General Engineering
	Electronics
	Introduction to Industry
	Heavy Goods Vehicle Driving
	Micro Computer Skills
	Apprenticeship Training
	Catering
	Laundry
St. Patrick's Institution	Printing
	Catering
Mountjoy Prison	Metal Fabrication
	Clothing Manufacturing
	Woodwork
	Furniture Manufacturing
	Upholstery, Craftwork
	Leather Work
	Concrete products
	Engraving
	Catering
	Laundry
Fort Mitchel	Catering
	Offenders involved in rebuilding
	Institution
	Farming and Gardening
	Clothing Manufacturing
Loughan House	Marquetry, woodwork and assembly
	Ground Maintenance
	Farming
	Catering
Shanganagh Castle	Grounds Maintenance
	Horticultural Activities
	Catering
	Laundry
Shelton Abbey	Farming
	Grounds Maintenance
	Catering
	Laundry
Limerick Prison	Craftwork
	Assembly Work
	Leather Work
	Upholstery
	Catering
	Laundry
Wheatfield	Building construction
	Catering
	Welding
	Machine operation
	Woodworking
	Painting and decorating
	Spray painting
	Design
	Indexing
	Micro computer skills
	Printing
	Laundry
	Gardening
	Crafts

In June last I published a policy documentThe Management of Offenders — A Five Year Plan. In Chapter 10 my plans in relation to work and training are set as follows:

"Over the next five years the following measures will be implemented:

(1) Work places will be provided to cater for an additional 500 offenders. Nearly half of these will be in the new prisons now planned (Chapter 3) and the remainder will be provided at a number of existing prisons (see paragraph 4.5). In response to the increasing presence of drug abusers in prisons it is proposed that a significant proportion of the new work places will be devoted to meeting the special needs of these offenders through forms of occupational therapy

(2) The use of the more sophisticated training facilities (such as those at the Training Unit and Wheatfield) will be maximised by better assessment and selection of offenders. A key issue to be resolved is ensuring the optimum access to these facilities by offenders from throughout the Prison system. To achieve this will require timely assessment of offenders and provision of adequate information about the choices available to them. It will require that a substantial majority of staff in the Prison system actively encourage and support offenders in engaging in work and pursuing training and education. It will require that a responsive system of sentence management be put in place and its operation will need to be such as to encourage offenders to avail of facilities that have been set up for them to improve themselves. Sentence management will also need to be discriminatory as between young offenders, older offenders, long term offenders etc. who have different needs.

(3) A formalised work and training staffing structure will be introduced to those prisons where it is not yet in place to ensure instructor continuity and the maintenance of adequate safety and training standards.

(4) Regime goals for each category of prison will be reviewed with the intention of striking a balance between the different needs of offenders, seeking greater complementarity between the various services provided for offenders and setting out reasonable agreed criteria or standards for regime performance. So far as work and training is concerned these agreed criteria or standards will then be used for carrying our ongoing evaluation of the programme at both institution and Prison system level."

The following are the financial provisions for 1994:

Expenditure on training materials etc.	£450,000
Expenditure on manufacturing materials, etc.	£490,000
Receipts from manufacturing	£620,000
Receipts from European Social Fund	£105,000