Mr. Fergal Black:

I fully endorse what the Senator has said. Our young offenders should be completely separate from other offenders. We have a programme with our psychology service whereby all offenders up to the age of 25 are engaged with intensively. We engage with people up to the age of 25 who do not have post-release supervision and the Probation Service engages with those who do. It is about resetting their compass and trying to get them not to come back into prison.

We have put in place a number of measures. We get transfers from Oberstown. Those who turn 18 while serving a sentence in Oberstown will remain there until they turn 19. This is the appropriate thing to do. Where they have to transfer from Oberstown because they have a longer sentence they go to Wheatfield Prison. We have a unit in Wheatfield Prison. I have met young offenders out there. The idea is to try to work with them. We have trained some of our staff to work with them there. Could we do more? Absolutely. We are conscious that we want to try to stop the possibility of people coming back in a repetitive pattern of returning to prison time and again. It is a group we are particularly concerned about. We have initiatives in place. Our staff is very mindful of these young people and they do all they can. The governors could speak better on this with regard to the relationship. In prison the relationship approach is perhaps the most important approach. The relationship approach with young offenders particularly is essential.