Vol. 428 No. 5
16 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to comments made by a member of the Judiciary (details supplied) in the Central Criminal Court on 8 March 1993, to the effect that sex offenders were just placed in prison and left to rot, and then tipped out onto the public again; her views on this analysis; the steps, if any, she intends to take to address this situation to provide proper treatment for offenders.
The comments referred to are inaccurate and unfair. They are inaccurate because they take no account of a range of services provided to those in custody including medical, psychiatric, psychological, welfare, work/training and education. They are unfair because they denigrate the excellent work done, day-by-day, by prison staff, doctors, psychiatrists, welfare officers, work trainers and teachers who put so much valuable work into caring for those in custody. Those working within the prison system operate on the basis that it is their duty not just to contain prisoners in custody until lawful release but also to help them to cope with their sentences, to develop their abilities and skills and to lead them towards a constructive life in the community on release.
Presumably what is at issue here is the provision of special treatment programmes for prisoners convicted of sex offences. In approaching this topic we have to be very realistic about what is and what is not achievable. I know of no prison administration which has devised a treatment programme which will guarantee that sex offenders who participate will not repeat offences on release. There appears to be a number of different approaches aimed at reducing recidivism but no one programme stands out as offering exceptionally good results. The task is to evaluate what is available and, if practicable apply it to our situation.
In fact, since last year a small specialist group in my Department has been carrying out a feasibility study of what may be available by way of a treatment programme which is practical, achievable, sustainable and open to evaluation. I understand that the group's work is almost finished and that I may expect to have their reports in a week or two. When I have assessed the group's recommendations I will make a further announcement. I should like to emphasise again that while this study is in progress, prisoners continue to have access to a range of services including medical, psychiatric, psychological, welfare, training and education on an individual basis.
Would the Minister agree that, over many years, the question of recidivism has been a constant problem within the justice system? Will the Minister address this issue, not merely in regard to sexual offenders, but of offenders generally, so that our prisons may become more rehabilitative rather than being merely places of containment?
Like the Deputy who tabled the question, the Deputy is being grossly unfair to the prison staff and to the excellent medical training and educational and rehabilitation services which are already available through the welfare system in our prisons. I do not accept that no work, other than guarding prisoners is carried out in our prison system. I would like to express my support for those who work in the prison system and who do excellent work. During the past two and a half months I have had the opportunity to witness at first hand the work done by all our prison staff throughout the country.
A Cheann Comhairle—
A brief question as I must now proceed to other questions.
Will the Minister tell the House how she can claim I am unfair when I point out that over a long number of years and under a number of different Administrations——
Questions, please.
——recidivism has been a problem in the justice system? That is a perfectly valid and proper statement. How can the Minister suggest that I am being unfair in that regard?
I am sure you will recall, a Cheann Comhairle, that the Deputy said prisoners should not just be detained in custody and I was referring to that aspect of his supplementary. I dealt with the first part of his supplementary in great detail in my answer to the original question when I said that the expert group in the Department is examining ways and means by which prison staff could be supported by the Department and further efforts within the prison system in relation to the support they give to sex offenders and indeed to other prisoners. I hope to receive its report in a week or two and there will be no delay in implementing its recommendations.
Will the Minister acknowledge that there is not a proper programme for sex offenders? Will she further confirm that one of her predecessors indicated that counselling and advice were given in prisons to sex offenders by the chaplain?
I do not know to which of my predecessors Deputy Harney refers or what he or she might have said and I do not accept any responsibility in that regard.
Will the Minister agree it is not appropriate for the chaplain to provide this?
As the Deputy is well aware, a welfare system operates in the prison service and I have already paid tribute to this. I know that Deputy Harney would also wish to pay tribute to that service. From time to time we need to evaluate the response to this service and this is precisely what the specialist group is doing. As I said, I hope to receive its report in a week or two and there will be no delay in implementing its recommendations.
