Ms Maureen Mulligan:

We co-work with those involved in conventional medicine. Cranial osteopathy involves working on the flow of fluid through the brain and the spine and the aim is to improve the function of the mechanism. Many of the prisoners have histories of deprivation culturally, mentally and emotionally and birth injuries. Osteopathy represents one the main functions. We work with a doctor if a prisoner is on medication and co-consult. That is how we work. We have about 100 medical referrals. We only see people who are referred; that is how we work in the prisons. We have an interdisciplinary meeting with the doctors who ask if we can take someone on and if there are worries, we get in touch with them. However, under the programme, a person would receive osteopathy and acupuncture services and we look at diet and nutrition, whether he is eating or sleeping and the underlying causes of stress. This ties in with the research with a national university that many of them suffer from undetected and untreated post-traumatic stress based on family histories. On top of it, they drink and take illegal drugs. We work with them to get them working without the need for drugs and alcohol and a side effect of our treatment is that they stop using. The intention is to keep them alive and get them to start working on straightening out their lives. The main aim for them is to get their family back, to sort out their lives, to become focused on work and to be free of the need to use at any level.