Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 185: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he proposes to extend the integrated sentence management scheme to all prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21138/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Sentence management processes have operated in the prison system for many years to the benefit of prisoners and the community. I am advised that as a result of new regulatory, organisational and working arrangements, together with the ongoing programme of modernisation of the prison estate and the addition of new programmes and services, the Irish Prison Service will be in a position to develop and roll-out a fully coordinated Integrated Sentence Management System (ISM) across all prisons and places of detention.

Work is ongoing on a range of necessary system supports to facilitate pilot ISM projects at Wheatfield and Arbour Hill prisons during the course of 2008. Between now and 2012, ISM will be progressively rolled out by the Irish Prison Service across all prisons and places of detention.

ISM will involve a new orientation in the delivery of services to prisoners and a new emphasis on prisoners taking greater personal responsibility for their own development through active engagement with both specialist and non-specialist services in the prisons. The end result will be a prisoner-centred, multidisciplinary approach to working with prisoners with provision for initial assessment, goal setting and periodic review to measure progress.