Written Answers Nos. 281-295
281. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedures in place for dealing with family visits of life sentence prisoners with reference to the account taken of the psychological impact on children of long-term estrangement and lack of physical contact with a parent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32177/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Prison Service that its Strategic Plan 2016-2018 sets out the commitment of the Irish Prison Service to strengthen family supports to facilitate on-going contact with prisoners, including those serving life sentences, while in custody and their reintegration post release, with appropriate supports and programmes.
The Director General of the Irish Prison Service established the Families & Imprisonment Group, and tasked the group with examining existing visiting facilities for all prisoners and in particular to address the needs of children and families as highlighted in the report published by the Irish Penal Reform Trust titled "Picking up the Pieces: The Rights and Needs of Children and Families Affected by Imprisonment".
The Families & Imprisonment Implementation Group is currently overseeing the delivery of the actions identified and is chaired by a prison Governor and includes representatives from the Childhood Development Initiative, the Psychology Service, the Probation Service, the Prison Officer's Association and Tusla. A key goal is to establish a model of through-care to parents returning to the community in partnership with Tusla and other community based organisations. A number of significant objectives have been achieved so far; most notably enhanced staff training, delivery of the ‘Parents Plus’ parenting programme on a pilot basis in Limerick Prison, the establishment of more family-friendly visits, and refurbishment of visit spaces.
Following a period of consultation with a range of non-government organisations, the Irish Prison Service forged a partnership with the Childhood Development Initiative and the Parents Plus Charity to introduce a dedicated family and imprisonment programme on a pilot basis called 'Family Links' which commenced in Limerick Prison in September 2014 with the aim to improve the visiting experience for families, improve staff awareness of the effects of imprisonment on families, and to support the family unit with the introduction of a parenting programme.
The Parents Plus Charity and Childhood Development Initiative have worked with the Irish Prison Service to tailor the ‘Parents Plus’ parenting programme to meet the need of parents in prison. Family Liaison Officers in Limerick Prison facilitate parenting skills course for prisoners, and ‘Bedford Row’ charity works simultaneously to deliver the parenting programme in the community. This programme has been successfully delivered to 24 prisoners. An evaluation of the Family Links Programme in Limerick was launched by the Tánaiste, Frances Fitzgerald TD on Monday 13th February 2017.
Enhancements to visit facilities in a number of prisons are being gradually rolled out under the Small Works Scheme. Funding was awarded to St. Vincent de Paul to extend their Visitor Centre facilities to Wheatfield Prison. The Irish Prison Service has allocated funding to appoint a Family Links Coordinator and to extend the Family Links model to Wheatfield Place of Detention and to Cork Prison in 2017, to include family related courses and programmes, staff training and support, community follow-up and partnership, communications and enhanced visiting facilities.
All of our prisons facilitate visits on Saturdays to take account of the needs of families visiting persons in custody. Sunday visits are allowed to the two Open Centres (Loughan House and Shelton Abbey) and to enhanced prisoners in Cork and Portlaoise Prisons
282. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there are grievance procedures and protocols in place for families to raise matters regarding family visits which are so important in relation to cases of where a parent is in custody, particularly on a long-term basis. [32178/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that all visitors can raise any issue regarding visits with the supervisor of the visits area on the day they are visiting. Alternatively they can write to the Governor of the Prison outlining their complaint and issues.
In addition, the Irish Prison Service has in place a Prisoner Complaints System, which is administered by the Operations Directorate in the Irish Prison Service Headquarters and is governed by the provisions of S.I. 11 of 2013 and Rule 57 of the Prison Rules 2007.
This system provides multiple categories of complaint (A-F), category E complaints are complaints made by visitors to the prison. Complaint forms are available in all areas where the visitors have access to. On receipt of a complaint, a written acknowledgment shall be sent to the complainant which should contain the name of the prison complaints coordinator.
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that its Strategic Plan 2016-2018 sets out the commitment of the Irish Prison Service to strengthen family supports to facilitate on-going contact with prisoners while in custody and their reintegration post release, with appropriate supports and programmes.
283. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the persons that have been appointed as peace commissioners since 2011; the age of the appointees; the grounds upon which they were appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32213/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraPeace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality under Section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924.
My Department is reliant upon the Peace Commissioners themselves and other interested parties, to advise of changes which occur subsequent to appointment. For that reason, the list of Peace Commissioners is not automatically updated to take account of changes of address, availability or status as they occur. Therefore, the list I have provided separately to the Deputy must be viewed in that context. Individuals seeking details of Peace Commissioners available in their areas are advised to contact the Peace Commissioner Unit of this Department or make inquiries at their local Garda Station where this information can be obtained.
I am advised that it is not possible to provide information in relation to the age of Peace Commissioners as its collation would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort, which cannot be justified where there are other significant demands on resources.
An application for appointment may be submitted by a person who is interested in obtaining an appointment or by a third party in respect of a person considered suitable for appointment. Nominations are generally received from public representatives. A local Garda Superintendent can also request an appointment in a particular area in the public interest.
There is no qualifying examination involved but appointees are required to be of good character and they are usually well established in the local community. Persons who are members of professions or employed in occupations which engage in legal work or related activities and members of the clergy are, as a matter of practice, not appointed because of their occupation. Public Servants are usually only appointed where the performance of their official duties requires an appointment (i.e. ex-officio). In the list provided, those Peace Commissioners not linked to a Garda Sub-District are ex-officio appointees. Persons convicted of serious offences are considered unsuitable for appointment.
The fact that an applicant or nominee may be suitable for appointment, does not in itself provide any entitlement to appointment because appointments are made at the discretion of the Minister for Justice and Equality with regard to the needs of particular areas.
284. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the unallocated spend within his Department for 2017; the expenditure allocated to programmes in 2017 which are due to cease in 2017; the funds that will become available within his Department's expenditure profile in 2018 due to changes in demand for services and goods and or changes to costs within his Department and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32250/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, all funding to my Department's Vote for 2017 was allocated and published in the Revised Estimates Volume last December. However, expenditure across the overall Justice Vote Group, consisting of eight Votes, is carefully monitored and managed with the objective of achieving the best value for the taxpayer with any underspends redirected as needed. The expenditure profile of the Department in 2018 will be a matter for the 2018 estimates process, which is currently underway and will be finalised in Budget 2018 in October.
285. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if inspection reports on individual prisons have been submitted to him by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons and are awaiting publication; and if so, the reason for the delay in publication. [32272/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs a matter of course, all reports made by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons are published as soon as possible by my Department on its website - www.justice.ie. There is only one report outstanding which has yet to be published. That concerns a report from the Acting Inspector of Prisons on the Training Unit which was located on the Mountjoy campus in Dublin.
Arrangements are currently being made for publication of the report and this will be done in the near future.
286. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of complaints made by prisoners to the Irish Prison Service in 2016, by category of complaint per prison. [32273/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to inform the Deputy that it is not possible to collect the information required within the timeframe allotted. This information is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy once it becomes available.
287. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of category A complaints made to the Irish Prison Service in 2016; the number of these complaints that were upheld or dismissed; and the average length of time it took to complete the complaints process and communicate the outcome to prisoners. [32274/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service currently operates a prisoner complaints process governed by S.I. No.11 of 2013, namely Rules 57 A and 57 B of the Prison Rules 2007.
The Irish Prison Service in 2012 introduced a complaints manual that specified differing categories of complaint e.g. Category A through F, this process assigns differing categories to differing investigative levels of prison management within prisons.
Category A complaints are defined in Rule 57B(1) of the Prison Rules (Amendment) 2013 as complaints alleging to :- “assault or use of excessive force against a prisoner, or ill treatment, racial abuse, discrimination, intimidation, threats or any other conduct against a prisoner of a nature and gravity to bring discredit on the Irish Prison Service”.
I can inform the Deputy that 76 Category A complaints were received in 2016, the following table represents the breakdown of complaints received by prison and the breakdown of the outcomes of all complaints. Overall, for the year 2016, 76 Category A complaints were received. Of these, 6 were upheld, 52 were not upheld, 0 were not proved, 8 were terminated under section 57B(5)(C) of the Prison Rules, 2007 and 10 are currently ongoing.
I am advised that the information requested regarding the average length of time it took to complete the complaints process and communicate the outcome to prisoners is not available at present. However, I am informed that an internal review of all complaints files is currently being carried out by the Irish Prison Service, the results of which will be available in due course.
|
Prison |
No. of Category A complaints received in 2016 |
|
Mountjoy |
7 |
|
Dochas |
2 |
|
St Pats |
0 |
|
Cloverhill |
6 |
|
Wheatfield |
11 |
|
Arbour Hill |
1 |
|
Portlaoise |
6 |
|
Midlands |
21 |
|
Cork |
4 |
|
Castlerea |
15 |
|
Limerick |
3 |
|
Training Unit |
0 |
|
Total |
76 |
|
OUTCOME |
|
|
Upheld |
6 |
|
Not Upheld |
52 |
|
Not Proved |
0 |
|
Terminated 57B (5) ( c ) |
8 |
|
Incomplete |
10 |
|
Total |
76 |
288. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of remand prisoners who are mixed with sentenced prisoners across the prison estate; and the prisons in which this is occurring. [32275/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra289. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of sentenced prisoners currently held in Cloverhill Remand Prison; and the number of sentenced prisoners that are sharing cells with remand prisoners in that prison. [32276/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together.
Rule 71 of the 2007 Prison Rules refers to Separate Accommodation and states:
'Unconvicted prisoners shall, in so far as is practicable and subject to the maintenance of good order and safe and secure custody, be accommodated in areas that are separate from those in which convicted prisoners are accommodated or to which convicted prisoners have access, and convicted prisoners shall, as far as is practicable, not be permitted access to areas to which unconvicted prisoners have access at those times when unconvicted prisoners have such access.
The Deputy may be aware that there is currently one prison in the Estate dedicated as a remand prison, namely Cloverhill Prison. I wish to also advise the Deputy that there are currently major works being undertaken in Cloverhill Prison in order to fully upgrade the fire alarm system and sprinklers, resulting in the temporary closure of parts of the prison and reduced bed capacity. Whilst every effort is taken by individual local prison management to minimise the accommodation of remand and sentenced prisoners together - in accordance with the Prison Rules - the Deputy will appreciate that it is not always possible to guarantee same.
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that on Thursday 6 July 2017 a total number of 92 remand prisoners were accommodated alongside sentenced prisoners broken down as follows.
|
Establishment Name |
Remand prisoners mixed with sentenced prisoners |
|
Castlerea Prison |
9 |
|
Cloverhill Remand Prison |
18 |
|
Cork Prison |
10 |
|
Limerick Prison (Female) |
1 |
|
Limerick Prison (Male) |
16 |
|
Midlands Prison |
21 |
|
Mountjoy Prison (Female) |
12 |
|
Mountjoy Prison (Male) |
0 |
|
Portlaoise |
4 |
|
Wheatfield Place of Detention |
1 |
|
Total |
92 |
I am further advised by the Irish Prison Service that on the same date there were 24 sentenced prisoners in custody in Cloverhill Remand Prison. Six of those were in single occupancy cells while 18 were sharing a cell with remand prisoners on that date.
290. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of beds allocated to the Irish Prison Service in the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum; the number of beds that will be allocated to the Irish Prison Service in the new national forensic hospital in Portrane; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32277/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Prison Service that persons in custody who currently require residential mental health treatment can be admitted to the Central Mental Hospital following assessment by the National Forensic Mental Health Service on the basis of assessed clinical need. This will also apply in regard to the admission of any person in custody to the services of the National Forensic Mental Health Services in the new facility in Portrane, which will have an increased capacity.
The Irish Prison Service has confirmed that it has access to a limited number of places in the Central Mental Hospital for prisoners who require residential mental health treatment. The waiting list for admission is managed by the National Forensic Mental Health Service on the basis of assessed clinical need.
291. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of recorded self-harm incidents per prison in 2016. [32278/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it does not currently hold data on the number of recorded self harm incidents in the form requested.
However, the Irish Prison Service has also advised that it has put a process in place whereby every incident of self harm is being examined by a multi-disciplinary team. Data on self harm is now being collated by way of a newly developed system for the recording of incidents of self harm. This data will be used for the purposes of informing IPS policy and procedures which are designed to minimise the incidence of self harm and suicide in the prison population.
292. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the therapeutic services and treatment programmes that are available for prisoners with addiction issues; the waiting lists for referrals to such services and treatments; and the number of drug free wings in prisons here. [32279/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been advised by the Irish Prison Service that any prisoner who enters the custody of the Irish Prison Services while presenting with addiction issues has access to addiction services, and is actively encouraged to engage with those services.
The treatments available are based on the principles of best practice, and are similar to those available in the community setting. This includes access to harm reduction methods, detoxification, stabilisation, and opiate replacement therapies. These interventions are based on a multi-professional approach to ensure that the prisoners' motivation, commitment and likelihood of success are always at the centre of planned care.
The Irish Prison Service has advised that the healthcare team which delivers these treatments includes, inter alia, GP Specialist Addiction services, Consultant Addiction psychiatrist, specialist addiction nurses, addiction counsellors, addiction links workers, pharmacists, primary care GP's, and prison nurses.
The Irish Prison Service also works very closely with the Probation Service, community, voluntary, and statutory agencies to maintain a pathway of care ensuring supports remain in place for prisoners on their release from custody.
All prisoners have access to group and individual counselling services where they can address their own personal requirements, and specific support arrangements can be put in place and implemented during the prisoners' period in custody. The person in custody can also benefit from peer support groups, music therapy, and a 9 week psycho-social based programme similar to community residential treatment services, which assists the person in remaining drug free.
293. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of recorded incidents in which control and restraint techniques were used by the Irish Prison Service in 2016; and the number of such incidents per prison. [32280/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra294. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of incidents that the Irish Prison Service managed to de-escalate through conflict resolution techniques or restorative practices in 2016; and the number of such incidents per prison. [32281/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 293 and 294 together.
De-escalation techniques play a significant part in the control and restraint training for prison staff and are deployed on a daily basis throughout the prison estate.
It is impossible to quantify the number of incidents the Irish Prison Service manage to de-escalate. Many incidents are resolved at different levels, where de-escalation techniques are used. These vary from officers on the landings on a personal level, to planned incidents involving control & restraint teams.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the number of recorded incidents where a Control and Restraint team was deployed in 2016 is set out in the following table.
As part of a control & restraint team a staff member, with a video recording camera, records footage of the event. The majority of the incidents in which a control & restraint teams was deployed did not require the physical removal of the prisoner.
|
Prison |
C & R Recorded incidents |
|
Arbour Hill |
0 |
|
Castlerea |
5 |
|
Cloverhill |
102 |
|
Cork |
5 |
|
Dochas |
0 |
|
Limerick |
0 |
|
Midlands |
6 |
|
Mountjoy |
273 |
|
Portlaoise |
373 |
|
Training Unit |
0 |
|
Wheatfield |
62 |
295. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of fully designated integrated sentenced management officers per prison across the Prison Service; and the average caseload per ISM officer. [32282/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that a total of 24 dedicated Integrated Sentence Management Coordinators are now operational in all prisons and open centres. The allocation of dedicated staff in each establishment greatly enhances the effectiveness of the sentence management system and facilitates the growing numbers of prisoners participating in the process.
Newly committed prisoners with a sentence of greater than one year are eligible to take part in Integrated Sentence Management. This involves a specific orientation in the delivery of services to prisoners and an emphasis on prisoners taking greater personal responsibility for their own development through active engagement with both specialist and non-specialist services in the prisons.
The end result is a prisoner centred, multi-disciplinary approach to working with prisoners with provision for initial assessment, goal setting and periodic review to measure progress. Important issues such as accommodation, employment or education are addressed to help the prisoner resettle into the community on release and reduce the risk of re-offending.
Integrated Sentence Management Coordinators are also active participants in sentence planning for certain categories of prisoners serving less than one year, for example, female prisoners, prisoners who have declared their risk of homelessness on release, or prisoners participating in the Community Support Scheme. The Integrated Sentence Management process has played a key role in the success of the Community Return Scheme.
The Irish Prison Service is currently collating the figures requested in relation to the caseload of the Integrated Sentence Management Coordinators and will forward this information directly to the Deputy as soon as it is to hand
