The Irish Prison Service places a strong emphasis on the provision of vocational training and educational activities for prisoners. Training activities are chosen to give as much employment as possible in prison and to give opportunities to acquire skills which help secure employment on release.
With regard to employability and placement programmes, the Irish Association for the Social Integration of Offenders (IASIO), formerly known as Business in the Community Ireland (BITC), is the main provider of support in this area. Since 2007, another IASIO programme, the GATE Service, has been operating in six institutions; Mountjoy, Dóchas, St. Patrick's Institution, the Training Unit, Midlands and Portlaoise Prisons. The service was introduced to Wheatfield Prison in 2011. Funded by the Irish Prison Service, four GATE Service Training and Employment Officers work on a full-time basis in the prisons concerned and provide a training, education and employment placement service.
IASIO personnel interact with all national and local services to maximise the opportunities for prisoners on release from prison. At national level, the Gate and Linkage Services, the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service and FÁS have agreed a protocol to facilitate the smooth and effective referral of prisoners and ex-prisoners to FÁS courses and their successful completion of the identified programme. IASIO's social inclusion programmes also interact with the Department of Social Protection, in particular with the Jobs Facilitators, and, where appropriate, with the Community Welfare Officers.
Training and Employment Officers working with the Gate or Linkage Services also interact with local partnerships to access the full range of services that may be available.
The development of prisoner programmes forms a central part of the Prison Service's Three Year Strategic Plan with a clear commitment to enhance sentence planning including Integrated Sentence Management and the delivery of prison based rehabilitative programmes. The Irish Prison Service will engage with other statutory agencies, including the Probation Service, and the community and voluntary sector to enhance sentence management from pre to post imprisonment in a way which will facilitate improved prisoner outcomes.