Ms Caron McCaffrey:

As to whether anyone is beyond hope, my clear view is that no one is. One of the core values of the Prison Service is potential and we see our role as unlocking the potential of the men and women in our care so as to ensure that, when they return to society, they can lead lives free of crime. We passionately believe that everyone is more than his or her greatest mistake. Everyone has to have hope for his or her future. We view our prisons as institutions of opportunity. Everyone has the opportunity to change and needs to be encouraged and supported in that.

The Chairman referred to how someone could amass 100 convictions and potentially be serving short-term sentences. The factors giving rise to that offending in the first place are what need to be addressed, for example, addiction or mental illness. Unfortunately, when those people enter our system for two, three or four months, we cannot work with them intensively enough to address their underlying issues and lead to desistance.