Bernard J. Durkan
Question:183 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners in receipt of treatment for drug addiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15566/98]
Written Answers. - Prison Drug Treatment Services.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:184 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners who have benefited from a programme of treatment for drug addiction in the past 12 months; whether his Department has evaluated the impact of these programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15567/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 184 together.
Various treatment options for drug addiction are available to inmates in the prison system. This treatment is provided as part of the general medical service available to all inmates. It is not possible to quantify in the time available precisely the number of inmates undergoing medically supervised treatment for drug addiction at any one time in all 14 prison institutions.
The majority of inmates with drug use problems are in custody in prison institutions in the Dublin area and in Mountjoy Prison in particular. During 1997, approximately 1,650 inmates benefited from the standard 14 day drug detoxification programme operated under medical supervision in Mountjoy Prison. In addition, about 130 inmates have been admitted to the drug treatment unit which opened in Mountjoy Prison in July 1996. This unit is modelled on hospital based units in the community and is aimed at weaning addicts off drugs by gradually reducing dosages of substitutes. The drug treatment programme in Mountjoy Prison is under review at present with a view to its expansion as appropriate.
I am satisfied that the various treatment options available to drug addicts in prison are making a positive contribution to both the fight against drug abuse generally in Irish society today and to the health of the individual inmates who have the motivation to deal with their addiction. I accept that more work is needed to extend the range of drug treatment facilities in the prison system and my Department is currently examining the feasibility of further expansion of drug treatment options generally. Progress in this respect is constrained for the present by the serious limitations imposed by overcrowding in our committal prisons. This constraint will be greatly lessened as the prison building programme proceeds.