Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the drugs rehabilitation programmes in place in prisons (details supplied); the success rates such programmes have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22535/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Prison Service continues to work to implement the commitments contained in its Drugs Policy & Strategy, entitled Keeping Drugs Out of Prisons, which was launched last year. Working to fulfil these commitments involves the implementation of stringent measures to prevent drugs from getting into prisons while, at the same time, continuing to invest in services within prisons to reduce the demand for illicit drugs in the prisoner population as well as meeting prisoners' treatment and rehabilitative needs.

Drug rehabilitation programmes for prisoners involve a significant multidimensional input by a diverse range of general and specialist services provided both by the Irish Prison Service and visiting statutory and non-statutory organisations. Measures to reduce the demand for drugs within the prison system include education, treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicted offenders. These programmes and interventions are delivered on an individual and co-ordinated basis by the Prison Healthcare Teams, Psychology Service, Probation Service, Prison Education Service and prison officers. Particular initiatives put in place include Drug Free Areas, Drug Misuse Awareness Programmes, Support Programmes and appropriate health interventions, Substitution Therapies, Vaccination Programmes and treatment for viral illnesses. In addition, the Irish Prison Service provides prisoners with a range of opportunities to encourage them to aspire to a substance-free lifestyle, before and after release, thereby reducing demand for illicit substances. An important aim of the new Policy & Strategy is the operation of all treatment programmes within a coherent policy framework, understood and supported by all agencies involved in drug treatment within the prison system, with the ultimate aim being to provide access to drug treatment and rehabilitation programmes for all prisoners who wish to avail of them.

The Policy and Strategy outlines the range of treatment services that the Irish Prison Service seeks to make available throughout the prisons estates; these are:

Assessment and Throughcare Planning.

Information, education and awareness programmes, etc.

Opiate replacement therapies (where clinically indicated).

Detox, maintenance and reduction programmes.

Symptomatic treatment options.

Support services, to include mental health.

Supported Voluntary Drug Testing Units.

Motivational interventions.

Extended treatment options will be provided in specific sites based on assessed risk or needs of the prison population there. These will include:

Evidence informed programmes regarding drug misuse and offending behaviour.

Cognitive Behavioural Treatment programmes.

12 Step programmes.

Appropriate peer support programmes.

In line with community provision many of these services are already available in prisons situated in the Dublin region but are not available in prisons situated outside of the Dublin region. Initial focus in enhancing the range and quality of treatment services available has been on those prisons which are assessed as having the greatest client need; this has involved the recruitment of nurses, a psychologist focusing on addictions and prison officers.

The most significant development has been the awarding of a contract for the provision of addiction counselling services for all prisons in the country to Merchants Quay Ireland, a leading drug treatment provider. This contract is currently being rolled out, and all prisoners wherever they may be imprisoned will have access to addiction counselling services by the end of this year.

Finally, in relation to the success of treatment services, in line with evidence from community treatment services there is clear evidence that where treatment structures are adequately and appropriately resourced, drug use, particularly unsafe use involving injection, decreases. Reports from within the prisons would confirm that the advent and development of substitution based programmes within the prison system has significantly decreased illicit drug use. Any resources devoted to drug treatment are far outweighed by the various personal (lower health risk, improved family and social function, etc.) and community (reduced street crime associated with drug use, lower incidence of potentially costly communicable diseases) benefits arising. In view of the particular difficulties associated with the prisoner population (e.g. social exclusion and isolation, multiple social and health problems, long histories of polysubstance abuse, etc.) the resources applied in prisons should garner a disproportionate health and social benefit.

The Probation Service, in partnership with the IPS and other agencies, provides a range of individual and group programmes in prisons to address rehabilitation and resettlement issues including those related to drug misuse. The Department through the Probation Service also provide funding to a number of Community-based Organisations which enter prisons to support and motivate prisoners in addressing their substance misuse.

The main drug rehabilitation programme, which has been in operation since 1996, is operated in Mountjoy Prison complex. That programme includes drug awareness and methadone support modules.

Eleven programmes have been facilitated in the Mountjoy complex since the beginning of 2006. Of the 99 prisoners who participated in these programmes, 43 graduated (completed successfully) and 4 remain on the current programme.