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Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 May 2013

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Questions (223)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

223. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the date on which he expects the following strategies to be published: strategy for older prisoners, strategy for women prisoners, strategy for young prisoners, strategy for sex offenders and when he expects the strategy for prisoners requiring protection will be published; the extent to which the new assessment procedures will be catering for prisoners requiring protection; when this procedure will be operational in each prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23344/13]

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Written answers

The Deputy will be aware that I published the Irish Prison Service Strategic Plan 2012-2015 in April last year. The progress report on the Year 1 Implementation Plan of this Strategy forms part of the recently published Irish Prison Service Annual Report for 2012.

The Strategic Plan includes a number of Strategic Actions one of which (Strategic Action 3: Prisoner Programmes) includes a commitment that the Irish Prison Service will, in conjunction with other key stakeholders, devise specific strategies for younger prisoners, women, older prisoners, sex offenders, protection prisoners, violent offenders and those suffering from mental illness. Work on the development of these strategies is underway and they will be implemented over the lifetime of the Strategic Plan.

The Strategy also commits the Prison Service to introducing appropriate assessment procedures to inform their prisoner placement policy to ensure that prisoners are accommodated appropriate to their security status. I am advised by my officials that the roll-out of the various assessment tools is well under way and that the target of completion by 2015 will be met.

It is at the committal stage that the majority of prisoners are identified as being in need of protection. In many instances, the prisoner will identify himself as being in need of same and in other instances, either intelligence or the assessment of the governor will identify a prisoner as requiring protection.

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