St. Patrick's Institution is a closed, medium security place of detention for males aged 16 to 21 years of age, serving sentences up to life. It contains a special unit for 16 and 17 year olds, however in the longer term the Irish Youth justice Service will take responsibility for the detention facilities for all boys under 18 years of age.
I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that the average population of St. Patrick's Institution on an annual basis for the period 2002 to 2008 is as follows:
|
Year
|
Average Population
|
Committals for the year
|
|
2002
|
179
|
1,158
|
|
2003
|
188
|
1,122
|
|
2004
|
197
|
1,300
|
|
2005
|
187
|
909
|
|
2006
|
187
|
1,080
|
|
2007
|
197
|
756
|
|
2008*
|
210
|
1,044
|
*Figures for 2008 are provisional only as the Annual Report 2008 has yet to be finalised.
I am further informed that the average period of prisoner detention in St. Patrick's Institution is not available for the years 2002 to 2008. The collation of the information requested would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort and could not be justified in current circumstances where there are other significant demands on resources. However, the Irish Prison Service Annual Reports provide a breakdown in relation to sentence length by age of offender. In 2007, the breakdown is as follows:
|
<3 mths
|
3 – < 6 mths
|
6 – <12 mths
|
1 – <2 yrs
|
2 – <3 yrs
|
3 – 5 yrs
|
5 – 10 yrs
|
10 + yrs
|
Life
|
Total
|
|
16
|
5
|
12
|
17
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
39
|
|
17
|
18
|
20
|
37
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
84
|
|
18 – <21
|
285
|
198
|
232
|
84
|
55
|
49
|
24
|
2
|
1
|
930
|
It should be noted that the above figures apply to sentenced offenders only, under 21 years of age that are detained throughout the prison estate, not just in St. Patrick's Institution.
Education in prisons is delivered by way of a partnership between the Irish Prison Service and a range of educational agencies from the community. Vocational Education Committees (VECs) and Public Library Services make the largest contribution to, and are the mainstay of, the Prison Education Service.
The Department of Education and Science provided an allocation of 220 whole-time equivalent teachers to the prisons through the VECs in the academic year 2008/09. This enables education to be offered in all prisons, including some provision for the summer months and special teaching arrangements where prisoners are segregated. Currently there are 20 whole-time equivalent teachers appointed by the City of Dublin Vocational Committee to staff the Education Unit in St Patrick's Institution. There are three sections within the school complex — Junior School, Senior School and the Protection Unit. The Junior School, for students aged 16-17 years, has six classrooms and the Senior School, for students aged 18-21 years, has twelve classrooms. There are two classrooms in the Protection Unit. There is a wide range of subjects on offer to students and students may sit the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate. FETAC courses are also offered in the School.
The following table shows the involvement in education in St Patrick's Institution for the period 2002 to 2007 across all age profiles. A breakdown by age is not available. Participation in education is counted as involvement in at least one structured class in a sample week. However, most of those taking part in education do so on a daily basis, as may be gauged by the measure of "intensive participation". Figures for 2008 are not readily available at this time, however I will forward the information to the Deputy as soon as it is available to me.
Participation in Education in St Patrick's Institution
|
Year
|
Participation
|
Population
|
Percentage
|
Intensive participation*
|
Percentage
|
|
2002
|
113
|
179
|
63%
|
81
|
45%
|
|
2003
|
88
|
187
|
47%
|
52
|
28%
|
|
2004
|
92
|
187
|
49%
|
53
|
28%
|
|
2005
|
93
|
174
|
53%
|
46
|
26%
|
|
2006
|
95
|
193
|
49%
|
42
|
22%
|
|
2007
|
111
|
199
|
56%
|
84
|
42%
|
*Intensive participation = Involved in structured classes for 10 hours or more per week.
Figures based on enrolment on a sample week in November of each year.
