I am pleased to say that considerable progress has been made on meeting the Programme for Government commitment to establish a high-level cross Departmental and cross agency Taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those imprisoned, and primary care support on release.
Last April, the Minister for Health and I, together with Minister of State Frank Feighan and Minister of State Mary Butler, established a High Level Taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of persons interacting with the criminal justice system.
The Taskforce has already met on eight occasions and has established three expert subgroups on diversion, capacity issues in the Prison Service and National Forensic Mental Health Services, and community issues including through-care from release. Each of the subgroups is comprised of relevant experts, and chaired by high ranking officials from the criminal justice sector, with the health leads represented and contributing to all. The subgroups have each met on at least nine occasions. The Chair of the Taskforce has also held meetings with subgroup chairs, and officials from both Departments on an ad hoc basis.
The interim report from the Taskforce was completed and submitted for the information of the Minister for Health and I on 22 November 2021.
The Taskforce has also received presentations from the Irish Penal Reform Trust and Crowe Consulting on the comprehensive Health Needs Analysis embarked on by the Prison Service.
In addition, a meeting with the Mental Health Commission also took place on 2 December 2021. The Taskforce also met with the Chair of Prison Visiting Committees and the Inspector of Prisons on 3 February 2022.
A key commitment of the terms of reference of the Taskforce is the delivery of a high-level implementation plan for any required actions arising from the groups work. The Taskforce has taken three thematic focuses which it considers capture the entirety of an individual’s interactions with the criminal justice system. These are:
1. diversion of individuals with mental health difficulties and addiction/dual diagnosis issues away from the criminal justice system,
2. the capacity of the Irish Prison Service and the National Forensic Mental Health Service, and
3. community issues including through care from custody.
In examining issues and performance across each of these themes, the Taskforce hopes to be able to make positive changes at each point, before formal engagement in the criminal system, supporting rehabilitation of those in custody and ensuring the most successful reintegration into society.
The Taskforce is aiming to provide this high level implementation plan for its recommendations early in 2022.