Ms Bernie Grogan:

We mentioned integrated sentence management in our written submission for sentences of more than 12 months. If there could be a system where as soon as someone entered the prison system, they could make contact with us, through prison officers or teachers, so we can start the support and the planning for release from the very first day. No one would be released then with nowhere to go and unaware of the services available. In some cases, we work with someone with a release date but something might happen and that person is released a couple of weeks early. The preparations are in place but the person was released early and the release that was being anticipated does not happen. It is best if the relationship starts as early as possible in the sentence.

We have been invited to meetings where the teachers have a festival of services, with people attending from the colleges and community services, so prisoners can meet them before release. The prison officers could also be informed of the services available so in their daily interactions with prisoners, they can pass on leaflets or put up posters around the telephones so they are not going out and not knowing where to go. That is where the highest risk exists, during the first couple of weeks after release, particularly if addiction is an issue.