Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 13 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 2

Written Answers. - Probation and Welfare Service.

Jack Wall

Question:

59 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the role of rehabilitation in the criminal justice system; his targets in relation to prisoner access to rehabilitation programmes for drug users and sex offenders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11205/00]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The rehabilitation of offenders is an important element of the criminal justice system. The probation and welfare service of my Department, through its work in the community and in the prisons, contributes in a significant way to this process. The probation and welfare service mission is to foster public safety and promote the common good by advancing the recognition and use of community based sanctions thereby reducing the level of reoffending.

These community sanctions enable probation staff to assist offenders address their criminal behaviour directly and in a way that challenges them to respond, making them aware of the options open to them and supporting them in pursuing a crime free way of life.

The probation and welfare service has developed training workshops, resource centres and probation residences to buttress and support the process of supervision in the community. This enables viable programmes to be put in place for offenders who might not otherwise be manageable in the community and extends the range of choice for courts.

Furthermore, programmes such as intensive probation supervision, court alcohol education programmes, developmental probation projects, specialised remedial projects and youth development programmes all have an important rehabilitative focus.

The ultimate aim of the Prisons Service is to develop and put in place a wide range of rehabilitative measures which will be made available to all prisoners.

The Prisons Service has already developed the following programmes to tackle drug misuse among the prison population: all committals to Mountjoy and St. Patrick's who misuse drugs are offered a fourteen day detoxification programme; on-going addiction counselling and education programmes; community based agencies visit prisons to provide support services and information, including individual counselling as required; an information forum is provided by the education and welfare services for prisoners informing them of the risks posed by communicable diseases; a detoxification and drug free unit is in operation in Mountjoy and an intensive drug free therapy programme co-ordinated by the probation and welfare service and delivered by a multidisciplinary team is in place.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a second drug treatment programme began at the health care unit in Mountjoy in March 2000. The emphasis will be on offering detoxification and intensive therapeutic counselling over six weeks to prisoners nearing release with a view to returning them drug free onto a structured drug treatment programme in the community.

The action plan on drug misuse and drug treatment in the prison system which I approved last year provides a detailed strategy to raise the level of treatment for drug addicted offenders. This includes the expansion of detoxification facilities, more drug free areas and the provision of methadone maintenance. The provision of addiction counselling support services is central to the plan. The plan builds on a medical policy which has been agreed between my Department and the Eastern Health Board in that it seeks to provide the same access to treatment for prisoners as patients have within the community.

At my request the Director General of the Prison Service recently established a national steering group for prison based drug treatment services with a view to implementing the action plan.

There are four forms of direct therapeutic intervention available to sex offenders within the prison system at present. All four are aimed at enabling such offenders gain some measure of control over their personal tendencies towards offending behaviour. The first intervention is individual counselling from my Department's psychology service and from the probation and welfare service. The second intervention is a multidisciplinary thinking skills group work programme which focuses on issues such as anger management, evasion of personal responsibility and relapse prevention and has been in place in Cork Prison and Arbour Hill Prison since 1998. This programme will be expanded to the Curragh by the end of September and staff are currently being selected to deliver the programme. The third intervention is an extremely intensive offence focused group work programme which is available in Arbour Hill Prison and which is delivered by officers of the probation and welfare and psychology services of my Department. All convicted sex offenders, regardless of the institution in which they are held, are invited to apply for inclusion in this programme. The fourth intervention involves the psychiatric service which provides extensive support for prisoners in this category.

A working group is currently overseeing the introduction of a number of interventions for sex offenders in the Curragh. The Prisons Service is also investigating the possibility of extending the range of multidisciplinary group work programmes with sex offenders here based on successful interventions which have been developed in prisons in Scotland and England in recent years. This particular study is not expected to be completed until early next year.

The ultimate objective for the Prison Service is to develop and put in place a wider range of rehabilitation programmes for sex offenders than are currently available. It is the intention that these programmes will be accredited by an independent accreditation board and delivered by multidisciplinary teams under the supervision of the psychology service. These programmes will be delivered to every sex offender in custody who is willing to participate at some level in their personal rehabilitation and relapse prevention. I fully support the probation and welfare service and the Prisons Service in all their efforts in the field of rehabilitation.