I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment and thank the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform for his presence at this late hour.
A remand prisoner hanged himself last Saturday afternoon in Mountjoy Prison. This tragic death took place despite a previous history of self-harm. The person was in the high risk group for suicide – he had had two drug overdoses in prison, one of which led to his being rushed to hospital. I sympathise with the victim's family and recognise that their hurt is most profound. In a suicide death there are special difficulties for the bereaved which are compounded by the circumstances of the young man's death. I also sympathise with the governor and prison staff. Suicide profoundly affects those who deal with the situation. We should recognise the personal trauma with which they are dealing and hope the necessary services are available to assist them to come to terms with their situation.
The number of suicides in prison is far too high. One is too many. I ask the Minister to outline to the House the suicide prevention programmes in place in our Prison Service. What training is given to staff in the implementation of such procedures? Are staff aware of the signs which should alert them to a person who is displaying suicidal feelings? Research in the United Kingdom estimated that the risk of suicide for prisoners was five times that of the general population. Is there a special understanding of the unique pressures on the prison population?
Will the Minister outline the way the needs of relatives of a prisoner who has committed suicide are handled after the trauma of the suicide itself? What treatment is available to prisoners suffering from mental illness, including depression? In California state prisons, psychiatric technicians were introduced into the prisons to deal with this important issue. It is estimated in California that one out of every 12 inmates suffers from serious mental illness. Are figures concerning Irish prisons available?
The psychiatric technicians in the state prisons in California function in various aspects of a new programme which they have introduced. It includes crisis intervention, mental health screening, patient assessment, implementing treatment programmes, supervising suicide risks, administering medication, maintaining medical records and quality assurance. Another function involves parole programmes which prepare inmates for productive lives after release.
The national task force on suicide published its recommendations in a report in January 1998. Perhaps the Minister will outline his response to the developments in regard to its recommendations. The report stated that the national task force on suicide was concerned about the level and organisation of mental health services provided in the prison system. It stated that there is a need to augment significantly existing provision of what could be considered the caring services in the prison environment, for example medical services, which include psychiatric and psychological services.
The task force endorsed the recommendations of the report of the advisory group on prison deaths published in August 1991. Perhaps the Minister would inform the House how his Department and the Prison Service have responded to that report. This group examined the level of suicide in Irish prisons and considered that a more positive and intensive approach to suicide prevention was required. The group made recommendations concerning the provision of medical, psychiatric, psychological, welfare and counselling services in prison. A number of recommendations in relation to the physical design of prisons and cells and the collection and analysis of prison data were made. In its report, the task force recommended to the Minister that the mentally ill in prison be given appropriate treatment in view of the marked association between drug abuse and both self-injury and death, including suicide in prison, that particular effort and resources be devoted, in conjunction with community strategies, to addressing the drug dependency problem of prisoners and that medical and caring services within prison be developed to a level equivalent to community services. It would be appreciated if the Minister would indicate the progress made in implementing in the prison service the recommendations contained in the report of the national task force on suicide.
