Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Justice and Equality
Prison Service
Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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951. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons currently incarcerated due to drug-related offences or addiction-related issues, per prison, in tabular form. [46483/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may already know, it is estimated that up to 70% of the prisoner population have addiction issues.
The Irish Prison Service aims to provide a health care service for prisoners with addictions in a structured, safe and professional way in line with international best practice. The IPS continues to be committed to, and involved with, the National Drugs Strategy in partnership with its community colleagues and organisations. In 2023, the Irish Prison Service published its own Drugs Strategy with three pillars which aim to Inform & Educate, Detect & Reduce and Support & Treat. In addition, the Irish Prison Service recruited a National Clinical Lead for Mental Health and Addiction in Q2 of 2024.
The Irish Prison Service spends in excess of €1m per annum on the provision of an addiction-counselling service in Irish prisons. This service is supplied by Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI), who provide a prison-based addiction-counselling service across the entire Irish Prison Service estate with the exception of Arbour Hill Prison and the Training Unit, where there is currently no clinical need for such a service. However, this is being reviewed.
I can inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service have provided figures in Table 1 of the 443 individuals under sentence for Controlled Drug Offences on 31 December 2024.
While addiction-related issues are a significant factor that contribute to criminal activity, the Irish Prison Service does not hold centralised data in respect of the contributory factors that led to an individual’s offence or imprisonment.
Table 1
Establishment Name | Total |
---|---|
Castlerea Prison | 15 |
Cloverhill Remand Prison | 19 |
Cork Prison | 22 |
Limerick Prison | 30 |
Loughan House | 63 |
Midlands Prison | 58 |
Mountjoy Prison | 103 |
Portlaoise Prison | 27 |
Shelton Abbey | 36 |
Wheatfield Prison | 68 |
Training Unit | 2 |
Total | 443 |
Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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952. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she has any plans to review or update prison policies in line with international best practices, particularly regarding rehabilitation and reducing reliance on incarceration. [46484/24]
Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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953. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the Government’s short- and long-term plans to reduce recidivism. [46485/24]
Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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956. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality what strategies are being employed to reduce recidivism rates and ensure successful reintegration of prisoners into society; and to provide a list of organisations that work in same. [46492/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 952 to 956, inclusive.
I can assure the Deputy I am committed to building stronger, safer communities, by progressing policies aimed at reducing offending and diverting people away from the criminal justice system through the provision of effective rehabilitation.
As the Deputy will appreciate, reducing reoffending, including by ensuring the underlying causes of offending behaviour are addressed, is not something that can be done with just a criminal justice response. It requires action on the part of other Departments and agencies.
While there are no quick fixes to reducing reoffending, evidence shows that different targeted interventions are needed. A range of policies have been developed to achieve this, including the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform, which includes increasing the use of alternatives to custodial sanctions where appropriate, and the recommendations of the High-Level Taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those who come into contact with the criminal justice sector. My Department is working to continue to implement both of these important strategies.
The provision of education and training is available in all prisons and is key to reducing recidivism. Programmes of education follow an adult-education approach and the Prison Service provides supports and services from basic literacy and numeracy education, up to third level qualifications.
Work Training in prisons provides a range of purposeful activities in areas such as catering, laundry, industrial cleaning and industrial skills, and the Irish Prison Service has also expanded the number of accredited courses and opportunities available in this area.
Further, the Prison Education Taskforce comprising key agencies such as the Irish Prison Service, Solas, the Probation Service, and the Education and Training Boards, has the aim of ensuring greater alignment between prison education and work training and the tertiary education system to support prisoners in benefitting from education and training opportunities while in custody to support their rehabilitation and access to employment post-release.
The Deputy may also be aware that in Budget 2025, the Probation Service received an additional €4 million, bringing the total budget to over €60m to expand crime-diversion programmes, support step-down facilities, restorative justice, and community-based alternatives to imprisonment.
Some of the Probation Service strategies which are being employed to reduce recidivism rates and ensure successful reintegration of prisoners into society include the JARC (Joint Agency Response to Crime) and Y-JARC (Youth-Joint Agency Response to Crime), which has been highly effective in steering people away from criminality and reducing re-offending.
The Probation Service has also expanded the Social Inclusion and Reintegration Unit for Probation Service clients to support the Service’s work related to offending, which is underpinned by social and health factors, including low educational attainment, substance misuse, homelessness, poor mental health, trauma, unemployment, and poverty.
The Probation Service also funds and works collaboratively with a number of Community Based Organisations (CBOs) to provide supported temporary accommodation and the development of independent living skills to persons subject to Probation supervision who are at risk of, or are experiencing homelessness. These services support the Probation Service to ensure court-ordered supervision is implemented, reduce the likelihood of reoffending and risk of harm to the public and support the client’s transition to stable long-term accommodation while addressing any existent support needs such as substance misuse.
In November 2024, the Department of Justice launched ‘Building Pathways Together: Criminal Justice Reintegration Through Employment Strategy 2025-2027’, building on the strong foundations laid by the 2017 Social Enterprise strategy ‘A New Way Forward’, and the 2020 ‘Working to Change’ strategy.
This new strategy seeks to provide effective interventions to ensure that those who have ceased offending, and those who are looking for stability to move away from a life which involves offending, have the appropriate supports and opportunities open to them.
The Building Pathways Together strategy underscores a renewed cross-sectoral commitment to create meaningful employment opportunities for people with criminal convictions, and work will commence on the implementation phase of the strategy in 2025.
Taken together, these important and comprehensive pieces of work represent a coherent and all-of-system approach to addressing offender behaviour, providing rehabilitative and mental health supports, and managing the people who offend in a considered and planned way to minimise reoffending.
As requested by the Deputy, I have provided below a list of organisations working to reduce recidivism rates and ensure successful reintegration of prisoners into society.
The Irish Prison Service works with the following organisations to support a reduction in recidivism rates and ensure successful reintegration of prisoners into society:
- Irish Association for Social Inclusion Opportunities (IASIO)
- Focus Ireland
- Bedford Row Family Project
- Alternative to Violence Programme
- Prevention Accommodation Community Enterprise (PACE)
- Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI)
- Speire Nua
- South Leinster Citizen Information Service
- Visitors’ Centres
- Society of St Vincent de Paul
- Roscommon Leader Partnership
- Adventure Sports/RYS
- Ana Liffey
- Aftercare Recovery Group
- Aiséirí Cahir, Aiséirí Wexford & Aislinn
- Athy Alternative Project
- Ballinasloe Training Workshop
- Ballymun Youth Action Project
- Ballyrunners (Ballymun JC)
- Bridge
- Bushypark
- Candle Community Trust
- Care After Prison
- Céim ar Chéim
- Céim Eile
- Churchfield
- Coolmine Therapeutic Community
- Cork Alliance Centre
- Cornmarket
- Cox's Demesne
- Crinan
- Cuan Mhuire Athy
- Cuan Mhuire Bruree
- Cuan Mhuire Coolarne
- Cuan Mhuire Farnanes
- Daughters of Charity
- Dóchas don Óige
- Donegal Women’s Centre
- Fusion CPL
- GROW
- Guild of St. Philip Neri
- IASIO
- Kerry Adolescent Counselling
- Kilkenny Employment for Youth
- Le Chéile
- Matt Talbot Community Trust
- Merchants Quay
- PACE
- PALLS
- Pro-Social Ireland
- Restorative Justice in the Community
- Restorative Justice Service
- SAOL
- Sailing Into Wellness
- SOLAS
- Southill Outreach
- Stepping Out
- Tabor Fellowship
- Tallaght / Deonach
- Tivoli
- Tower
- TRAIL
- Traveller Justice Initiative
- TREO
- Tuam Community Training Centre
- Tus Nua
- Westview / Foroige
- Wexford Centre
- WHAD
Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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954. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality what mental health and addiction treatment services are available in prisons; and the measures necessary to ensure they are effective. [46486/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Prison Service aims to provide safe and secure custody, dignity of care, and rehabilitation to prisoners for safer communities and to provide healthcare and psychological services on an equivalent basis to what is available to those eligible for General Medical Scheme services in the community.
The Irish prison population is currently in excess of 5,000 people, many of whom experience a broad range of primary, secondary and tertiary care mental health/psychological needs.
The Irish Prison Service multidisciplinary team working directly with the mental health needs of people in custody is made up of the Irish Prison Services Primary Healthcare team and Psychological Service as well as in-reach mental health services, provided by the HSE’s National Forensic Mental Health Service. The latter involves the provision of weekly forensic mental health sessions led by consultant forensic psychiatrists, supported by non-consultant hospital doctors, community psychiatric nurses, and social workers.
The Irish Prison Service Strategic Plan 2023-2027 and Drugs Strategy 2023-2026 both represent a collective commitment to the well-being, rehabilitation and safety of both prisoners and staff.
The Deputy may also be aware that the Health Needs Assessment for the Irish Prison Service was published in May 2023. This was the first comprehensive health assessment undertaken for the prison service. On foot of the recommendations, the Irish Prison Service has recruited a Clinical Lead for Mental Health and Addiction.
This appointment is especially important as the clinical lead is dedicated to developing the care and services available within prisons and liaising with community services to ensure continuity of care.
The High Level Task Force (HLTF) on Mental Health and Addiction published their final report in September 2022. The report identified where further improvements can be implemented in order to enhance the treatment available to those with mental health and addiction difficulties within the criminal justice system.
It outlined 61 recommendations to be implemented over a five-year period from the time of publication of the final report. The First Annual Progress Report of the HLTF was published in February 2024 covering September 2022–September 2023.
The most recent key developments include the launch of the Community Access Support Team (CAST) pilot project in Limerick and the roll-out of Mental Health First Aid training for An Garda Síochána members on a national level. CAST is a partnership pilot between An Garda Síochána and the Mental Health Services (MHS), the HSE and Mid-West Community Healthcare.
The pilot endeavours to establish an appropriate co-response approach to calls relating to mental health and situational trauma. Work remains ongoing to monitor and further progress the recommendations of the HLTF.
All people committed to prison are subject to a comprehensive medical assessment by the Prison Healthcare Team, which includes a mental health assessment. The information provided as part of this process is recorded on the person’s individual medical record on the Prison Healthcare Management System (PHMS). This information allows for the development of an individual healthcare plan for the prisoner while in custody.
Where necessary, the person is referred to a forensic clinician or IPS psychologist or both. Medical and/or psychological treatment is provided as clinically indicated.
The Irish Prison Service Psychology Service take a lead role in relation to mental health assessment for the purposes of group or individual talking therapy interventions. They also provide offence related (criminogenic) assessment and intervention (which frequently includes mental health, addiction and trauma related factors).
The Irish Prison Service via its contracted delivery partner Merchants Quay Ireland delivers addiction counselling and support. There are 20 authorised addiction counsellor posts, supporting individual and group work across the prison estate. As of July 2024, over 600 prisoners were engaged in addiction counselling, with more than 800 awaiting access to these services.
As of 3 January 2025, the number of people on the waiting list to be seen by a psychologist is approximately 2,078 people, and there are 524 people on the Psychology Service caseload.
Typically, approximately 1,400 people are referred to the service annually. By the end of 2024, 546 people had been seen by a psychologist specifically for a mental health referral, 149 people were seen within 12 weeks and 397 people were seen within over 24 weeks.
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