Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 July 2013
547. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which first-time offenders for all levels of crime have an early opportunity to avail of education, training or other rehabilitative programmes while in prison, with particular reference to facilitating the isolation of such prisoners from recidivists with a view to future rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36296/13]
View answerThe Irish Prison Service provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services. These programmes are available in all prisons and all prisoners are eligible to use the services. On committal, all prisoners are interviewed by the Governor and are informed of the services available in the prison. At this point prisoners may be referred to services or they can self refer at a later date. Where Governors consider, on the information available, that a prisoner needs a particular intervention they will initiate a referral.
Given the number of prisoners in custody it is not possible to segregate those who are in prison for the first time from those who have been in custody on more than one occasion. It must be borne in mind that someone’s first period of imprisonment does not necessarily indicate a first offence. Efforts are made, where possible to segregate remand prisoners from sentenced prisoners. In addition, prisoners who are vulnerable or have requested the protection of the Governor are segregated from the general prison population. Every effort is made to ensure that those prisoners who cannot associate freely with the general prison population have the greatest possible access to services.
The development of prisoner programmes forms a central part of the Irish Prison Service Three Year Strategic Plan 2012 - 2015. There is a clear commitment in the Strategy to enhance sentence planning including Integrated Sentence Management and the delivery of prison based rehabilitative programmes such as education, work training and resettlement programmes.
