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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 Oct 2003

Vol. 571 No. 4

Written Answers. - Prison Education Services.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

500 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the recent survey finding that there is a strong link between low literacy levels and violent crime and crimes against property; the measures he intends to take in view of this finding; his views on whether investment in prisoner education, literacy and training programmes is an investment in crime prevention and prevention of recidivism, and thus also a source of potential cost savings under other line items, such as the high costs of incarceration; if he intends to restore and increase funding to prisoner education programmes that were cut in Budget 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22433/03]

I am aware of the recent launch, during the September 2003 National Adult Literacy Week, of an Irish Prison Service publication entitled, The Prison Adult Literacy Survey Results and Implications. Preparation of this study was funded by a grant awarded by the policy planning and research unit of my Department.

The study examines the literacy levels among the prison population in Ireland, based on questionnaires compiled by a random sample of the approximately 3000 persons in custody in May 2001. One of the survey's aims was to ascertain how prisoners compared with the general population with regard to literacy skills. This is important since accurate statistics are important in planning the most appropriate kind of courses for prisoners.

The major results of the survey show that a significant number of prisoners have virtually no literacy skills – 52% of them were at level 1 or pre-level 1 literacy levels. In other words, more than twice as many prisoners are at the lowest level as compared with the general population. The survey's results, I should point out, are broadly in line with findings from other countries.

Successive policy initiatives in relation to the prisons, dating from the Whitaker report in 1985, have placed emphasis on the crucial role education can play in the management and rehabilitation of prisoners. A particular commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government states, "We will tackle the high level of illiteracy and lack of educational accomplishment prevalent in many prisoners by supporting enhanced educational programmes within prisons".

Specific actions in relation to the above Government commitment by the Irish Prison Service include: the prison education curriculum is currently under review to ensure continuing relevance to prisoner needs; the recent launch by the Irish Prison Service of the research study cited by the Deputy; and the development by the prison education service of guidelines for quality literacy work in prisons which aims to facilitate prison education units to reach and retain a larger number of prisoners with literacy problems. Implementation of the guidelines is in progress in all prisons and places of detention.
The research survey also investigated as to whether or not there was a possible relationship between prisoners' poor literacy skills and certain types of crime. This aspect of the study warrants further examination by the different agencies across the criminal justice system. Arrangements are in hand for the wider dissemination of the publication among these agencies for their consideration.
Furthermore in relation to the investigation of a possible linkage between participation in education by prisoners and a reduction in recidivism, the Irish Prison Service has recently agreed to support a leading criminological academic body to enable it to undertake a multilevel study of prisoner recidivism. Among variables to feature in the analysis will be data on a sizeable sample of prisoners including offence and offender characteristics such as age, gender, education, marital status, criminal history, offence type, length of sentence served, whether the offender participated in specialised programmes etc. It is intended that the research will begin in the coming months and will run for about three years.
The allocation in the 2003 Prisons Vote for the day-to-day running costs of prison educational services amounts to €1,077,000, which is a decrease of €101,000 on the 2002 outturn. Notwithstanding this, the 2003 allocation represents an increase of about 25% over the outturn in this area of €864,000 in 2000. The Deputy will note, therefore, that there has been a significant increase in funding of prison educational services since 2000.
I also wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has allocated funding of €5.577 million this year to the 64 Garda youth diversion projects and related projects operating in both urban and rural areas at present.
Garda youth diversion projects are crime prevention initiatives which adopt a multiagency partnership approach to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour at community level. The role of the Garda youth diversion projects is to bring about the conditions whereby the behavioural patterns of young people towards law and order, can develop and mature through positive interventions and interaction with the project.
Project co-ordinators and advisory and management committees are required to regularly review and assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the projects to ensure every effort is made to meet the overall aims and objectives of the project. The projects target young people who are likely to drop out of the educational system prematurely, with high quality intervention programmes in areas of acute social disadvantage. The optimum age for participation in the Garda youth diversion projects is 12 to 17 years of age. Participation of young people from the age of ten and those aged 18 will be at the discretion of the referral assessment committees. The target group are likely to be from families where there is a history of early school leaving; have poor literacy skills; be disadvantaged socially, often as a result of alcoholism, drug addiction, and poor parenting skills; have little or no scope of entering regular skilled employment; be unable to access mainstream education and training programmes; and be at risk of becoming chronically unemployable, with the risk of entry into vandalism, crime, drugs and finally prison.
Question No. 501 withdrawn.
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