I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 131 together.
The Irish Prison Service provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services. All prisoners are eligible to apply for such courses and the Prison Service will endeavour to facilitate as many prisoners as possible. On committal, all prisoners are interviewed by the Governor and 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.
As part of its recently published Three-Year Strategic Plan, the Prison Service will build on and enhance current programmes and services including accredited education and vocational training. A new Incentivised Regimes Policy will also be rolled out which provides for a differentiation of privileges between prisoners according to their level of engagement with services and quality of behaviour.
My replies to previous Questions explained the criteria which applies including the circumstances when temporary release may be provided and what matters must be taken into account. Regular review meetings take place in each of our prisons where the Governor, senior management, and representatives from the professional therapeutic services discuss individual cases and make recommendations to an official from Prison Service Headquarters as to how the sentence management of a case should proceed. This may at times include a recommendation that the person engage in the school, work with the addiction services, etc but may also at times recommend that a prisoner be considered for a transfer from a closed prison, that they be considered for daily temporary release to attend a training programme or at times that they be granted supervised reviewable temporary release.
Prisoners serving short sentences, i.e. under 12 months, may be moved to an open centre shortly after committal. Other longer term prisoners being prepared for the transition back into the community may be considered for moves with about 2 years left in their sentence. Exceptional prisoners who are engaging strongly with the therapeutic services can sometimes be considered for a transfer with up to 4 years left to serve in their sentence. For prisoners serving sentences in excess of 8 years, recommendations on their sentence management which may include transfers to open centres or temporary release are made to me by the Parole Board. It is very important to note that it does not necessarily follow that a prisoner will receive a transfer to an Open Centre or temporary release even if the recommendation is to that effect.
The Deputy will appreciate that in all cases where prisoners have applied for a transfer to an open centre, early or compassionate release, or other concessions, there are safety, security, operational and logistical considerations that must be taken into account when deciding whether to approve or refuse the application. There is no automatic entitlement to concessions for prisoners at a specific point in their sentence or in light of specific conduct. Each case is examined on its individual merits.
